Gallagher injury would be a huge loss The diminutive Montreal winger plays with unparalleled tenacity in the offensive zone and produces at an elite level, Travis Yost writes.

It looks like a Shea Weber slap shot has claimed another victim. Only this time, it was friendly fire.

If there’s anything more terrifying in hockey than getting caught in Weber’s crossfire, I haven’t seen it. The sheer power and velocity on his shot is far and away his biggest weapon, and through it, he’s generated piles of goals for the Nashville Predators and Montreal Canadiens.

But last night one of his blasts vaporized Montreal winger Brendan Gallagher’s left hand, the same left hand he injured just one season ago. Gallagher didn’t return to the game, and it’s expected he’ll miss some real time.

It’s a big blow for a Canadiens team that’s rolling along in a suddenly tough Eastern Conference, and no, I don’t think that’s overstating the situation. Gallagher has become that meaningful an attacker for the Canadiens, a considerable development considering his marginal draft status.

The evolution of Gallagher as a premier forward has been an interesting one to watch. He’s not a finesse attacker. He doesn’t have a shot with pinpoint accuracy or incredible velocity. He’s not a physical specimen — at 5-foot-9 and184 pounds, he grades out as one of the smaller forwards in the NHL.

But, man, does he play with unparalleled tenacity in the offensive zone. It takes a Herculean effort to get him out of the dirty areas of the ice, and he generates piles of shots when he’s on the attack. Gallagher’s the breed of forward who wears you down by attrition. It is death by a thousand paper cuts — the ultimate volume play.

It’s what has made Gallagher such an important piece for a Montreal team that, at least prior to this season, has searched for offence throughout the lineup. Gallagher has become the ultimate plug-and-play type in that respect, performing admirably in varying roles and with different degrees of teammate competency.

Since he became a ‘full-time’ forward in the 2013-14 season, his offensive production speaks for itself. Look at the sheer volume of shots he generates and the points he accumulates. More specifically, look at how his offensive production compares to some of the league’s elite over the last four years:

Look at the company he keeps here. It’s basically the best volume shooters and scorers in the league, and mostly your true top-line wingers. In his immediate vicinity for comparables: Rick Nash, Vladimir Tarasenko, Tyler Seguin, Taylor Hall, Steven Stamkos, and Jeff Skinner. He’s a stone’s throw, if that, from types like Alexander Ovechkin and teammate Max Pacioretty.

In summary: he’s an impactful forward at 5-on-5 and has been for some time. I think most Canadiens fans know how important a piece he is to the lineup, but I wonder if the national opinion of his game matches it.

If Montreal is without Gallagher for significant time, you have to wonder if general manager Marc Bergevin will kick the tires on potential trade options. The state of their right wing outside of Gallagher is pretty concerning. Alexander Radulov is the most capable piece there, but he’s on an expiring contract. After him, it’s a mixed bag of guys who should be down the lineup and in insulated roles. The right-wing options behind Radulov and Gallagher on Wednesday night were Brian Flynn and Chris Terry. Fine guys to plug into depth roles, but nothing more than that.

We’ll have to monitor the injury situation with Gallagher as more information becomes available, but make no mistake – the Canadiens, at least for now, have lost a significant piece from their lineup.