Montreal Canadiens: Line Decisions, Contract Headaches, and Tweaks

0:00This is Corey with NHL News Today, powered by the Daily News Now. Subscribe for daily updates on your team. The Montreal Canadiens dropped a tough game to the visiting San Jose Sharks on Saturday night, highlighting some head-scratching line decisions from. Coach Martin St. Louis, he benched better and forward, Brendan Gallagher, who's carrying a $6.5 million cap hit but hasn't been producing enough lately. Instead, St. Louis slotted in Alexander Texier on the fourth line after Texier had filled in higher up during Cole Callfield's brief illness absence. Gallagher has given everything for the team over 14 seasons, so sitting him is no easy call and fans get that. St. Louis deserves credit for making the right move, even if it feels overdue. The real issue came with Texier taking Gallagher's spot. He shines in a top-six role, not scraping by on the bottom line where scoring isn't expected. Team management faces ongoing contract headaches from past deals, like Gallagher's extension under former GM Mark Bergevin.

1:01Current GM can hues held steady at the trade deadline. Smart-given shaky goal-tending and a focus on building for 2026–27. Rather than pushing too hard now after a first-round playoff exit, better options exist for the bottom-six, like swapping Texier with Zachary Bullduck from the third line to boost physicality without losing speed. Zach hasn't scored since December 23rd, so shifting him up could add offense there. Sammy Blaze, with his 3.7 hits per game, is another physical fit recently brought back for exactly this purpose. These tweets could make the line of stronger next time Gallagher sits. The Canadians need sharper execution overall, and while Gallagher still has value in a smaller role, expectations have to match his current level. Minor adjustments like these keep them competitive moving forward. This episode is proudly sponsored by our partner. It is a pillow that plays your podcast and music without earbuds, built for listening

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