Player Discussion Alex Galchenyuk: Time to loosen the restraints?

[cphabs]

Euh no. They said he was weak defensively, not that he was mostly used at center, and yes, of course having 3 other centers also plays a part.
Also, again, Galch was drafted as a center. He played a year on the wing in juniors. So if management said that, ya, so? They would be full of **** as he was mostly a center and drafted as one.
Yes, of course, after 3 years of using him on the wing, it's easy to say he's mostly been used on the wing.

In no way, shape or form is Drouin in the same boat. Drouin was drafted as a winger, and he's been used as a winger.

There is literally no similarity.

Until we got ahold of his development... Drouin is, was, an absolute terror on the wing.

 

[groovejuice]

Other guys with a lot less talent are producing with the slugs you are talking about and almost every players have played on different lines. Stop the excuses and open your eyes. Galchenyuk needs to be A LOT better. Others also have to, but this is Galchenyuk thread. He is one of the most skilled player the team has, that's why I'm so disappointed about him and his poor showing since last 10 months.

Considering his deployments and ice time Chucky is doing fine. Making him a scapegoat serves no useful purpose unless one is adhering to the deluded thinking that it's somehow helpful as a motivating factor.

It's not. Scapegoating is what people of low intelligence and ability do to mitigate their own failures. You want your best players to play their best? You provide opportunities and support instead of punishment.

No one is making excuses for Galchenyuk. There's no reason to. His performance is quite in line with the GM and coach of the Habs, and they're only hamstrung by their own ineptitudes, not by the impossibly ignorant decisions of others.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

Considering his deployments and ice time Chucky is doing fine. Making him a scapegoat serves no useful purpose unless one is adhering to the deluded thinking that is somehow helpful as a motivating factor.

It's not. Scapegoating is what people of low intelligence and ability do to mitigate their own failures. You want your best players to play their best? You provide opportunities and support instead of punishment.

No one is making excuses for Galchenyuk. There's no reason to. His performance is quite in line with the GM and coach of the Habs, and they're only hamstrung by their own ineptitudes, not by the impossibly ignorant decisions of others.

I still think he could be better even with these restraints but management has done him no favours. Maybe he's brought in on himself but it's quite clear that management has just not handled him well. All we have to do is look what they did to PK. I think both parties are to blame but management more so. Without having any behind the scenes knowledge this is my take.

Pacioretty on the other hand is a problem. I'd be really upset if we trade Galch before Patches unless the return is really really good which I doubt it would be. Galch can still be saved where Patches is what he is. Max could get us such a great return and we won't have to watch him pulling this same crap while making 3 or 4 million more.

 

[groovejuice]

I still think he could be better even with these restraints but management has done him no favours. Maybe he's brought in on himself but it's quite clear that management has just not handled him well. All we have to do is look what they did to PK. I think both parties are to blame but management more so. Without having any behind the scenes knowledge this is my take.

Pacioretty on the other hand is a problem. I'd be really upset if we trade Galch before Patches unless the return is really really good which I doubt it would be. Galch can still be saved where Patches is what he is. Max could get us such a great return and we won't have to watch him pulling this same crap while making 3 or 4 million more.

I'm not suggesting that Galchenyuk is playing his best. Far from it. But it's terribly disingenuous to single his play out for criticism when players with more ice time and better opportunities are not eclipsing his performance. A couple of decent games and he takes over the point lead on the team.

The loss of Radulov and absurd positioning of Drouin at #1C are telltale symptoms of the poor direction the Habs have taken. Bergevin and Julien are all-in with their anachronistic philosophies and things will get much worse before they get better.

It's dishonest to continually throw one player under the bus when virtually no one is surpassing expectations. The D is a complete abomination yet the hapless Galchenyuk is the one taking the brunt of the boos here. It's pathetic.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

I'm not suggesting that Galchenyuk is playing his best. Far from it. But it's terribly disingenuous to single his play out for criticism when players with more ice time and better opportunities are not eclipsing his performance. A couple of decent games and he takes over the point lead on the team.

The loss of Radulov and absurd positioning of Drouin at #1C are telltale symptoms of the poor direction the Habs have taken. Bergevin and Julien are all-in with their anachronistic philosophies and things will get much worse before they get better.

It's dishonest to continually throw one player under the bus when virtually no one is surpassing expectations. The D is a complete abomination yet the hapless Galchenyuk is the one taking the brunt of the boos here. It's pathetic.

It's amazing he's producing as well as he is. I don't think he's getting the brunt. It seems like the big 3 (him along with Drouin and Patches) are taking quite the beating and deservedly so. Patches should get the most. It's disgusting.

 

[LaP]

We have the worst center depth/talent in the league, we can't sink any lower, what are they trying to protect at this point?

The rispek. It's more important the winning.

 

[Fish on The Sand]

Until we got ahold of his development... Drouin is, was, an absolute terror on the wing.

He has a career high of what, 53 points? I'd hardly call him a terror at wing. He was a player who showed promise on the wing after years of disappointment.

 

[76]

Considering his deployments and ice time Chucky is doing fine. Making him a scapegoat serves no useful purpose unless one is adhering to the deluded thinking that it's somehow helpful as a motivating factor.

It's not. Scapegoating is what people of low intelligence and ability do to mitigate their own failures. You want your best players to play their best? You provide opportunities and support instead of punishment.

No one is making excuses for Galchenyuk. There's no reason to. His performance is quite in line with the GM and coach of the Habs, and they're only hamstrung by their own ineptitudes, not by the impossibly ignorant decisions of others.

Bahh I like AG and want him to succeed, this team needs him, he should be by now more than the important piece he has already been, but he plays terrible, since 10 months now.

It's on him, it starts with him, his head and his will. He is much better than what he is showing. He gets the ice time he deserves actually and whatever the position, whatever the linemates, whatever any other excuses, with his potential, he should do a lot more with what he already has.
He is not the only one who struggles but this is AG thread, who was picked top3 and who should be one of the offensive leaders of the team at this stage of his career, every game.

 

[groovejuice]

Bahh I like AG and want him to succeed, this team needs him, he should be by now more than the important piece he has already been, but he plays terrible, since 10 months now.

It's on him, it starts with him, his head and his will. He is much better than what he is showing. He gets the ice time he deserves actually and whatever the position, whatever the linemates, whatever any other excuses, with his potential, he should do a lot more with what he already has.
He is not the only one who struggles but this is AG thread, who was picked top3 and who should be one of the offensive leaders of the team at this stage of his career, every game.

Yeah, you've said all this before, almost verbatim. Yes it's completely his fault and injuries, deployments, opportunities and development play no role whatsoever.

And he's still offensively outperforming most of the other forwards on the team. But let's not talk about that.

 

[ECWHSWI]

Bahh I like AG and want him to succeed, this team needs him, he should be by now more than the important piece he has already been, but he plays terrible, since 10 months now.

It's on him, it starts with him, his head and his will. He is much better than what he is showing. He gets the ice time he deserves actually and whatever the position, whatever the linemates, whatever any other excuses, with his potential, he should do a lot more with what he already has.
He is not the only one who struggles but this is AG thread, who was picked top3 and who should be one of the offensive leaders of the team at this stage of his career, every game.

he is, when playing C.

reality : he will never be an offensive leader on the Habs
(if you don't get why, just re-read my first sentence a few times)

 

[JSR 56]

just trade him already. either play him at C or trade him

 

[ColinO]

just trade him already. either play him at C or trade him

I honestly don't care much whether they play AG at centre or wing. I do care that he should be playing far more minutes than he has so far this year. Over the past three years, AG has the best P/60 mins on the team. It's really not that surprising that the team struggles to score when they give bottom 6 minutes(often bottom 3 minutes) to their best point producer.
I get that he is not good defensively. I don't really care at this point. That's what Weber, Alzner and Benn are for - not to mention Price.

 

[ECWHSWI]

I honestly don't care much whether they play AG at centre or wing. I do care that he should be playing far more minutes than he has so far this year. Over the past three years, AG has the best P/60 mins on the team. It's really not that surprising that the team struggles to score when they give bottom 6 minutes(often bottom 3 minutes) to their best point producer.
I get that he is not good defensively. I don't really care at this point. That's what Weber, Alzner and Benn are for - not to mention Price.

on top of all the forwards like Plekanec and co who are defensively responsible. every team has players who arent that good defensively, they manage, and if said player is good offensively he gets ice-time no problem.

 

[Censored Toad]

on top of all the forwards like Plekanec and co who are defensively responsible. every team has players who arent that good defensively, they manage, and if said player is good offensively he gets ice-time no problem.

I honestly don't care much whether they play AG at centre or wing. I do care that he should be playing far more minutes than he has so far this year. Over the past three years, AG has the best P/60 mins on the team. It's really not that surprising that the team struggles to score when they give bottom 6 minutes(often bottom 3 minutes) to their best point producer.
I get that he is not good defensively. I don't really care at this point. That's what Weber, Alzner and Benn are for - not to mention Price.

good points, both of you get likes

 

[76]

he is, when playing C.

reality : he will never be an offensive leader on the Habs
(if you don't get why, just re-read my first sentence a few times)

Great, the guy forgets how to play hockey when he is on wing. Poor kid. This is total bs, only another excuse. Put any good player from center to wing and he will still be a good player. Plenty of examples around the league.

 

[Leon Lucius Black]

On the wing Galchenyuk has basically been a 40-45 point player throughout his career, with our winger depth and trash down the middle it just makes no sense to have him on the wing and be less productive.

Either use him as a centre or just trade him in a package to help us at centre, Pacioretty has struggled all year no matter who his centre is so try something new this year that worked in the past and put Patch with Chucky at centre.

Galchenyuk SHOULD be playing better no matter his position given it is his sixth year, but at this point we need more offense from our centres and we have young guys like Hudon/Lehk/Carr who can put up points on the wing.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Great, the guy forgets how to play hockey when he is on wing. Poor kid. This is total bs, only another excuse. Put any good player from center to wing and he will still be a good player. Plenty of examples around the league.

Okay, name all the examples.

I guess Drouin forgets to play hockey when he is at centre?

And in the end, you advocate for putting a player in a position that limits his strengths? How is that good coaching or roster management? Why would you put a player in a spot that he is less effective in?

Shea Weber is a good defenseman, would you put him on the goal-line on the PP and have him run the PP as a playmaker? Neutralizing his ability to use his one-timer would be a great way to employ him as a D on the PP, right?

 

[76]

Never heard of a good center who can't play wing. The position is a lot more easy to fill. I'm surprised by your comment.

Giroux, Sam Bennett, Malkin, Eric Staal, Coyle, name it, there are so many examples, they don't become bad players when they play wing.

Galchenyuk played wing almost all his hockey career, and suddenly he he is not able anymore? He can only be a good player if he is at center? Total BS and only excuses.

And this not about offensive production only. Good lord, Look at how he plays. He was a better winger at 20 years old than what he is now. If you don't see it well I don't know what you are watching.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Never heard of a good center who can't play wing. The position is a lot more easy to fill. I'm surprised by your comment.

Giroux, Sam Bennett, Malkin, Eric Staal, Coyle, name it, there are so many examples, they don't become bad players when they play wing.

Galchenyuk played wing almost all his hockey career, and suddenly he he is not able anymore? He can only be a good player if he is at center? Total BS and only excuses.

And this not about offensive production only. Good lord, Look at how he plays. He was a better winger at 20 years old than what he is now. If you don't see it well I don't know what you are watching.

And why is that?

Why did Galchenyuk regress here? Why is it that a guy who was pacing for 50 points as a teenager never develops his talents further? Is that on the team or the player?

And before you point fingers at the player, consider how many guys we have on our team who've been developed in the AHL since MB got here... NONE.

 

[Price is Wright]

Galchenyuk is a good winger. He's just a better centre. His potential increases. He's in better position to make the plays he wants to.

 

[groovejuice]

Galchenyuk is a good winger. He's just a better centre. His potential increases. He's in better position to make the plays he wants to.

This. He's not a bad winger, he's a better centre. But still, he's close to the team lead in points playing comparatively low minutes on his less favoured side. Meanwhile Drouin looks terrible at centre because he's playing in the wrong position also.

It's almost like management is trying to lose.

 

[Milhouse40]

TVA sports and their bias view:

Who should be out of the line-up when Lehkonen returns?
Froese, Carr, Hudon or Galchenyuk?



He's their new whipping boy..

 

[OldCraig71]

They echo management though, this stuff put out by the media is no fluke.

 

[cphabs]

He has a career high of what, 53 points? I'd hardly call him a terror at wing. He was a player who showed promise on the wing after years of disappointment.

The kid reminds me of Theo Fleury and I am excited for that.

 

[LaP]

on top of all the forwards like Plekanec and co who are defensively responsible. every team has players who arent that good defensively, they manage, and if said player is good offensively he gets ice-time no problem.

As long as this team wont understand that there will be no cup. And looking at this management it's not going to happen soon.

Devils won their last cup with Mogilny on the 2nd line and Malakhov in the top 4. People should let that sink in.

But hey our team plays well without the puck. We should be happy.