Recently, Bleacher Report started putting out its 21st Century Mount Rushmore for every team. When it came to the Montreal Canadiens, they picked: Carey Price, Andrei Markov, P.K. Subban, and Saku Koivu.

While those selections are understandable, there is room for debate on a couple of them. You would be hard-pressed to find someone who disagrees with Price’s inclusion. The Anahim Lake, BC native has rewritten the Canadiens’ record book and is the only netminder to backstop the Habs to over 350 wins. For years, he was considered the best goaltender in the game by fellow NHLers, and that’s an endorsement that has to weigh heavily in any decision. When the NHL held its bubble playoffs, teams were worried about facing the Habs because Price could win a series on his own, and he did just that in the qualification round against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

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The second pick that’s a given is Andrei Markov. The Russian blueliner played 990 games with the Canadiens, putting up 572 points in the process, and was an integral part of what little success the Habs have had this century. His longevity despite serious knee injuries was impressive; he had such a high hockey IQ that he could make up for the speed and mobility he lost following the surgeries. The fact that he was unable to play that 1,000th game remains a blemish on Marc Bergevin’s record. Letting go of the blueliner hurt the Canadiens, and it took them years to find a defenseman as effective as the General. He is tied for second most points in Tricolore history by a defenseman with Guy Lapointe, behind Larry Robinson.

I disagree on the inclusion of P.K. Subban, not that he wasn’t a tremendous part of the team for his seven years with the Sainte-Flanelle, but because I feel other players had a more significant impact on the team. Subban was spectacular and had tremendous offensive instincts, scoring 278 points in 434 games, but I believe Brendan Gallagher is more worthy of a spot on the Canadiens’ Mount Rushmore.

So far, the alternate captain has played 13 seasons with the Habs, and his devotion to the team has never been in doubt. Despite his small stature, he has always played big, and he’s been involved in every battle. For years, he was used by coaches as a way to jump-start struggling lines. Gallagher is the very picture of what a Canadiens player should be. So far, he’s put up 464 points in 834 games, and he’s not done; he has two years left on his contract to climb up the points ladder, and he does have a chance of reaching 1,000 games if he plays every game for the last two seasons. If he doesn’t, it would make sense to sign him to a 35-and-over contract in two years just to let him reach the mark, as was done with Tomas Plekanec. Gallagher is currently 27th in points in franchise history, tied in 15th place in goals with 239 (he has a chance at reaching the top 10-he needs 258), and 39th in assists.

Finally, I wouldn’t have included Saku Koivu. I know, he’s the second-longest serving captain in Canadiens’ history, and he has gathered 641 points in 792 games, making him the 10th highest scorer in team history. Still, he loses points because he was part of perhaps the darkest era in team history, when he was at his best, the Canadiens were still struggling, and fans had very little to be excited about. This is why I would give the fourth spot to current captain Nick Suzuki.

While Suzuki has only played six seasons so far, he has put up 375 points in 455 games and has become not only the face of the franchise, but of the rebuild, of the hope every Canadiens’ fan feels when thinking about this team’s future. He has a 0.82 point-per-game average, which means that if he keeps up that rhythm, he would have 652 points in 792 games, beating Koivu’s numbers. The fact is that the captain has yet to reach his ceiling, and he’s well on his way to achieving those numbers.

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