Player Discussion Alex Galchenyuk: Time to loosen the restraints?

[Beer and Chips]

After his comments about character and attitude he better not trade Gallagher just to make a 'sexy' trade because this would prove he's totally full of BS. While Gallagher would certainly be of interest to other teams but unless you get players to compliment the 'soft' forwards on the top six losing Gallagher doesn't make long term sense.

 

[sandviper]

Just went through this article on EOTP regarding chemistry with Alex and different types of defencemen.

Alex Galchenyuk needs to play with offensive-minded defencemen

While there were a few good points, it was interesting how Alex has been criticized for his defence, his performance is impacted negatively with defensive defenceman as support.

Anyhow, I’m sure you can replace Alex with Max or Jonathan in this article. I think if anything, this just highlights how painfully slow and non-creative our defence are.

 

[DAChampion]

Galchenyuk could have likely become a 70-point, 2-way forward if he had been developed properly. With proper coaching and management, the Habs would have developed each of Galchenyuk, Eller, and Leblanc; Desharnais would have been converted to wing or traded for a 2nd rounder; and Plekanec would have been traded when he still had value.

I have no idea what Galchenyuk's ceiling is now. He's likely to get better coaching next year, but he's lost several of his best years and he's undoubtedly accumulated a lot of bad habits.

 

[Scriptor]

I'm going to start saying "your post is bs" when I have absolutely nothing to say to prove my point.

That's just BS.

 

[Scriptor]

I'll tell you what isn't BS. The fact that Bergevin always rams bridge deals down the throats of his best players rather than lock them up for their prime years until he has no other choice. He jerked Subban around by making him take a bridge deal, finally signed him to a big contract and then traded him right before the big contract was due to kick in. He's done the same with Galchenyuk. Bergevin will grind players like that but will then turn around, pull his purple pants down and bend over for the likes of Desharnais, who not one other NHL team would have taken for free, let alone pay for him.

Of course, Gallagher didn't get that bridge contract rammed down his throat... ALWAYS is a loaded term.

 

[Scriptor]

Galchenyuk could have likely become a 70-point, 2-way forward if he had been developed properly. With proper coaching and management, the Habs would have developed each of Galchenyuk, Eller, and Leblanc; Desharnais would have been converted to wing or traded for a 2nd rounder; and Plekanec would have been traded when he still had value.

I have no idea what Galchenyuk's ceiling is now. He's likely to get better coaching next year, but he's lost several of his best years and he's undoubtedly accumulated a lot of bad habits.

Galchenyuk's ceiling is still as high as the work that he wants to put in, IMHO. Ducharme could take him aside and deconstruct the bad habits. It's already started under Julien, actually...

 

[DAChampion]

Galchenyuk's ceiling is still as high as the work that he wants to put in, IMHO. Ducharme could take him aside and deconstruct the bad habits. It's already started under Julien, actually...

I don't know, that seems counterintuitive.

 

[Fazkovsky]

I still find he is a bit slow

Good acceleration but still flaws in reaction time or short distances efforts

 

[Mrb1p]

Just went through this article on EOTP regarding chemistry with Alex and different types of defencemen.

Alex Galchenyuk needs to play with offensive-minded defencemen

While there were a few good points, it was interesting how Alex has been criticized for his defence, his performance is impacted negatively with defensive defenceman as support.

Anyhow, I’m sure you can replace Alex with Max or Jonathan in this article. I think if anything, this just highlights how painfully slow and non-creative our defence are.

How much of it is related to the defensive D being bad meanwhile the two/three (if Mete counts) offensive D being good?

 

[yianik]

Just went through this article on EOTP regarding chemistry with Alex and different types of defencemen.

Alex Galchenyuk needs to play with offensive-minded defencemen

While there were a few good points, it was interesting how Alex has been criticized for his defence, his performance is impacted negatively with defensive defenceman as support.

Anyhow, I’m sure you can replace Alex with Max or Jonathan in this article. I think if anything, this just highlights how painfully slow and non-creative our defence are.

Painfully slow and non creative. Sounds like MB.

 

[Laurentide]

I still find he is a bit slow

Good acceleration but still flaws in reaction time or short distances efforts

AG reminds me a bit of Laine in these playoffs. The game was too fast for him. He was late to every loose puck, turned the puck over and couldn't get back fast enough to prevent an odd-man rush, and unless he was scoring on a one-timer got every shot or pass attempt blocked or picked off.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

I doubt he gets traded.
Patch is pretty close to a lock of being traded, so losing another one of our top forwards would make no sense.

 

[Andrei79]

I just want him at center for a whole year.

They drafted him there, half the league wants to acquite to play him there and we've got NO center depth. They need to get their heads out of their asses.

 

[Cobra Commander]

I just want him at center for a whole year.

They drafted him there, half the league wants to acquite to play him there and we've got NO center depth. They need to get their heads out of their asses.

Bergevin told us he's not a center

 

[GoodKiwi]

I always get Andrei Kostitsyn flashbacks reading AG threads for some reason.

 

[Censored Toad]

Just going to drop this here...
Trading Alex Galchenyuk would be a treacherous task for Marc Bergevin

 

[Habs Halifax]

Only problem I have with Galchenyuk is the 3 year deal we gave him last off season. Heading into last year, I wanted both Galchenyuk and Drouin to play with each other but share the center role. I am not sure of the discussions between management and Galchenyuk about where he would be playing but I think they came to an agreement prior to the season that he was playing wing all year. Just a hunch based on how the 2017 playoffs ended with him on the 4th line and how they kept him on wing all year.

However, I agree with many of you. In a tank season, it was the perfect opportunity to let him make mistakes at center. On wing, I did like how he progressed and made smarter plays with the puck as the season went along though. I'm still not willing to give up on him playing center at some point in the future. He is just touching his mature years now at the age of 24. I expect more from him moving forward

 

[LyricalLyricist]

Galchenyuk could have likely become a 70-point, 2-way forward if he had been developed properly. With proper coaching and management, the Habs would have developed each of Galchenyuk, Eller, and Leblanc; Desharnais would have been converted to wing or traded for a 2nd rounder; and Plekanec would have been traded when he still had value.

I have no idea what Galchenyuk's ceiling is now. He's likely to get better coaching next year, but he's lost several of his best years and he's undoubtedly accumulated a lot of bad habits.

I think a 70 point two-way center is kind of something you invented in your head...the same way some suggested Eller would be a 60 point two-way C in a season where scoring was low.

70 points as a C puts you top 20 in the league. Not every guy on that list is a two-way C. So the expectation that Galchenyuk would be a top 10-15 C when you narrow things down is kind of exaggerated, sorry.

I would've been happy if he became a top 30-40C. A #1B if you will. I think Galchenyuk has/had 65-70 point offensive C upside, I'm not sure about the two-way aspect.

It won't happen but I would've loved to see him behind a legit #1C like Tavares and in front of a serviceable 3rd line with Danault, Shaw, etc... He'd have fair offensive opportunities and room to grow.

 

[admiralcadillac]

I hope Alex makes more strides this year. Would be nice if he didn't need to have excuses made for him.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

Only problem I have with Galchenyuk is the 3 year deal we gave him last off season. Heading into last year, I wanted both Galchenyuk and Drouin to play with each other but share the center role. I am not sure of the discussions between management and Galchenyuk about where he would be playing but I think they came to an agreement prior to the season that he was playing wing all year. Just a hunch based on how the 2017 playoffs ended with him on the 4th line and how they kept him on wing all year.

However, I agree with many of you. In a tank season, it was the perfect opportunity to let him make mistakes at center. On wing, I did like how he progressed and made smarter plays with the puck as the season went along though. I'm still not willing to give up on him playing center at some point in the future. He is just touching his mature years now at the age of 24. I expect more from him moving forward

Whether or not people believe in galcenyuk at C it makes no sense to put Drouin, Byron, Shaw and others there before him in tank season. I understand if the guys were natural Cs like DD, Eller, Plekanec but these guys are wingers!

 

[Habs Halifax]

Whether or not people believe in galcenyuk at C it makes no sense to put Drouin, Byron, Shaw and others there before him in tank season. I understand if the guys were natural Cs like DD, Eller, Plekanec but these guys are wingers!

Agreed but it has to be something they talked about behind the scenes with Galchenyuk. They drew a line in the sand (pre-season) where Galchenyuk would play wing all year. That's the only thing that makes sense to me.

 

[ECWHSWI]

Galchenyuk's ceiling is still as high as the work that he wants to put in, IMHO. Ducharme could take him aside and deconstruct the bad habits. It's already started under Julien, actually...

wrong. the idea that it's all about hard work makes no sense.

 

[ECWHSWI]

I hope Alex makes more strides this year. Would be nice if he didn't need to have excuses made for him.

no worries, you and the anti-chambre crew will be there to remind everyone how much he sucks.

 

[admiralcadillac]

no worries, you and the anti-chambre crew will be there to remind everyone how much he sucks.

I've never once said he sucks but once again always there imagining things.

 

[Kraken Jokes]

Habs invested most of two years into Galchenyuk at center.

The first year the Habs missed the playoffs but he scored 30 goals. He especially came on when given good wingers.

The second year he was close to 1.0 PPG before his injury. When he came back, the new coach decided to put him on LW and he struggled.

This year, the Habs were so stubborn about playing him at LW that even after Plekanec and Mitchell were traded and Danault was injured, they wouldn't play him at C. Anyone but... guys that never played C as a pro were chosen to fill in over him (Hudon, Byron, etc.)

When it comes down to it, he's more productive at C. Though he struggles defensively, the Habs record is better with him at C because they need offence.

The choice seems obvious to me.