Montreal Canadiens' 3 Worst Contracts of 2023-24

The Montreal Canadiens haven't taken the next step yet, but the team is very close. They have to stay healthy and presumably get some of the bad contracts off the books to get new blood in the lineup. There are more than a couple less than ideal contracts on the team that we will look at below.

Brendan Gallagher

Brendan Gallagher very clearly has a bad contract, but the team has accepted that as they aren't contending and he still works very hard and impacts other areas of the game. But $6.5 million AAV for a veteran who averages under 14 minutes per game and has just 11 goals and 21 points in 65 games isn't great. There are still three years left on his deal as well and he is a third line winger at best at this point.

Josh Anderson

Josh Anderson's contract is not much better than Gallagher's, if it is at all. He has managed to dry up completely offensively in his fourth year with the Canadiens and it took him far too long to even score this season. Montreal clearly jumped the gun in giving him a long-term extension when acquiring him and the 29-year-old still has three years left on his deal at $5.5 million AAV while only producing eight goals and 18 points in 66 games this season.

Tanner Pearson

Tanner Pearson is one of a few less than ideal contracts on the Canadiens that are ending sooner than Gallagher and Anderson, but still not great. Pearson was a cap dump by the Vancouver Canucks in order to make the money work in the Casey DeSmith trade. Although Pearson's season started out on the right foot and he was playing well on the third line, that line was broken up, he is currently a healthy scratch, and has just five goals and 12 points in 49 games this season with a cap hit of $3.25 million AAV. Fortunately his contract ends after this season.