Every player on the team has regressed except for the goalies. Eller came back from a 30pt in 45ish game season. In the first 20ish games, he scored 13pts in 16gp when he played with Galy and Galla (Galla was on pace for 30+ goals). Then, an undeserving DD was given MaxPac and Gallagher and we became a 1 line team. Eller still produced at a .5 pace.
Galchenyuk returns yesterday, plays a few shifts with Eller, then is moved up with Plekanec.
But yes, it makes total sense to expect Eller to be motivated and fight for Therrien. Sure.
I'm not saying Eller is going to be a consistent top 2 center. But we are not using him properly and until we actually give him good linemates over a long stretch and use him as a 2nd center, we're never going to know.
I laugh when I read things like:
Once Desharnais was given Pacioretty and Gallagher, we became a 1-line team.
In fact, before that, we already were a 1-line team, with that line being the Galchenyuk-Eller-gallagher line! Problem was, that line was seeing tough opposition from our opponents as the de facto #1 line and had been slowing down significantly when the move was made.
At that point, we were a 0=line team!
That said, now that Desharnais' confidence is back up, I'd consider reuniting the EGG line, just to see what it can do to help Eller.
However, I still suspect Eller won't be using Galchenyuk much and favouring Gallagher 99% of the time again.
We also need to find a player to go with Pacioretty and Desharnais who isn't named Brière.
With Prust and Bournival still out, that leaves only one real option and, perhaps, two if you go outside the box:
Bourque is the likelier option. Weise is the other, less conventional option.
How about Pacioretty-Desharnais-Eller or, even, Pacioretty-Eller-Desharnais? If Eller can't work with that, there'd have to be a serious problem, no?
It would allow, once Prust is back, a line of Prust-Galchenyuk-Gallagher, one that had success last season over a short stint….