Trade incoming between the Kings and the Canadiens?

Apart from the fact that former Canadiens player Phillip Danault was traded to LA this summer, there is another connection: former Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin, who signed Gallagher to his current contract, is a senior advisor to Kings GM Rob Blake.

Furthermore, Gallagher and Danault were line mates, and Danault has been a revelation with his new squad.

With the Canadiens in the midst of a rebuild and GM Kent Hughes looking to slash the final five years of the winger's six-year, $39-million deal, a trade between the two teams is a possibility.

Cowen points out that the Kings will free up some salary room when the contract of 37-year-old winger Dustin Brown expires at the end of this season.

Los Angeles is expected to have $22 million in cap space, more than enough to cover Gallagher's $6.5 million annual cost charge, according to CapFriendly.

Gallagher would fit in well with the Kings and have a chance to win a title there. They've completed their rebuild and will play in the playoffs for the first time since 2018.

The Kings, on the other hand, are expected to be busy this summer, as they aim to acquire at least one top-four defensemen capable of sharing the load with ace blue liner Drew Doughty.

Prior to last month's trade deadline, they were linked to John Klingberg of the Dallas Stars and Jakob Chychrun of the Arizona Coyotes. It's unclear whether they'll prioritize a trade or a free agency to improve their back end.

Credit: HF