Canadiens forced to place two players in protocol

The Montreal Canadiens have announced that forward Brendan Gallagher and defenseman Sami Niku have been placed in the NHL's COVID-19 protocol list and have been removed from the team's roster while they quarantine.

Check it out:

This is obviously a huge blow to a team that's already reeling in the standings. At this point though, I think the team and its fanbase have more or less given up on the current season. Rather than wins and losses the team's new executive staff headed up by President Jeff Gorton and whomever he hires to be his protege general manager will be focused on remaking their roster. For a player like Gallagher, a veteran who can provide value to a Stanley Cup contender, this means he could be in play on the trade market.

Here's what Gallagher had to say to TSN's Pierre LeBrun last week when asked about a potential trade out of Montreal:

“This is my 10th season now, and I’ve always come in with the expectation to win,” Gallagher said. “I feel like my teammates had the same goal, I felt like management had the same goal, and sometimes organizations go through those things. I guess those are conversations that would probably need to be had down the road, but for me, I play this game to win. That’s the only way I can enjoy it. You don’t always need to win every game, but you need to feel like we’re trying to win, you need to feel like it’s important.

“If that’s a decision they want to make, those are conversations you probably need to have going forward, but for now, that’s not something I’ve put a lot of thought in. I still feel like this is an organization that I love dearly, and that’s probably not being strong enough with it. I love this city, I love everything about it. I haven’t thought about it until you asked the question, but it would definitely be a tough decision, and like I said, conversations that you’d have to have, but I love being here and that’s first and foremost.”

- Brendan Gallagher

Personally, I do hope that Gallagher gets a fresh start elsewhere. He's a heart and soul kind of player who deserves another shot at the Cup.