Confirmed with Link: MTL-ARI: Max Domi for Alex Galchenyuk

[Forum93]

As long as Bergevin is GM: **** the Habs.

As long as Bergevin is GM: **** Molson.

 

[Forum93]

curious to know how many here think Domi will start the season on the 4th line and end said season with the offensive catalyst that is Jacob delaRose ?

In no way MB, sorry I mean Julien starts him on the 4th line, he's not a Russian ( American ) .

 

[Kriss E]

No I haven’t watched every game. But I watched plenty of Galchenyuk and his nonchalant saucer passes getting intercepted on the pp.

Kane surely isn’t perfect but he is elite. He gets it done far more often than not. Whereas Galchenyuk has a nice highlight reel his turnover reel would twice as long in length.

Also Galchenyuk needed to be sheltered on the wing because he got dominated by elite competition. He is what he is, a trigger man that may score you 30. He may also go -32

Yes, and for every Kane, you have a Galchenyuk or a Drouin, who absolutely sucked at backchecking and was just as much of a liability than Galch at center. But hey, he was a -28 so I guess that's okay...

I'd bet most players would have highlight reels twice as long for turnovers than they would for awesome goals. You don't get to see the turnovers because it's only when they result in goals against that you pay attention to them.
You just keep reinforcing my point about how some of the older crowd is incapable of understanding simple concepts and truths.

 

[gillyguzzler]

The PP will certainly have a different look now. It was one of the only decent aspects of the Habs season last year.

If Patches returns, he'll take Chucky's spot as the right side trigger man. Hopefully, Weber is healthy to fire his bombs on the left. Gally's in front of the net and Drouin is setting things up. Will the fifth be Petry? My guess is Domi gets significant time early on. We'll see how that goes. Maybe he'll play the point with Weber.

For all his warts, Chucky was fun to watch on the PP.

 

[Ozmodiar]

If Scherbak isn't given a top six position nect year then that's a problem.

Any other organization would put their top prospect in a position to succeed.

- prospects can succeed on the 3rd line. "top six" is not necessary, especially for players who have shown flashes but are not yet established.

- "top prospect" not being put in top six role could be either a sign of good team depth (Washington) or bad prospect pool (Habs)

 

[angry pirate]

I honestly think Bergevin is saying Domi is a winger who can play center to get rid of expectations so that fans and the media don't eat Domi alive. I think he's our 2c next year. Up until he got traded to us, Domi was a serviceable 2nd line center in Arizona who put up 28 points in 48 games.

I see a few scenarios. If we add a center I see;

Drouin - xxx - Gallagher
Pacioretty - Domi - Scherbak

or if we add a UFA winger

xxx - Drouin - Gallagher
Pacioretty - Domi - Scherbak


I think Domi has the tools to be a center. He's a decent 2 way player. Below average on faceoffs, but it's not unreasonable to expect some improvement there going into year two. Good Skater, high IQ paired with really good vision, and plays with a lot of energy every shift. Probably won't ever be an elite goal scorer, but if he can put up 15-20 goals ala his rookie season and continue to make his line mates better than we might have a very capable 2C on our hands. If he gets pushed to the wing by Kotkaniemi or Poehling or both than so be it, a good problem to have.

I think a Pacioretty - Domi pairing has a lot of upside. Plus I think he can Pivot PP1 allowing Drouin to play the Left D spot. I think the acquisition of Domi would allow us to run two very distinct powerplay units with something like:

Pacioretty - Domi - Scherbak
Drouin - Petry

as a high skilled, lot of lateral puck movement running mostly through Drouin. Pacioretty and Scherbak may actually play opposite wings with Domi being a puck hound forcing a lot of pressure.

They'll be countered with a PP that runs through Weber and is all about getting pucks to the net.

Shaw - Danault - Gallagher
Mete - Weber

Maybe sub Gallagher out as I really don't want to see him get another broken hand, but this is all about getting pucks to Weber and having guys driving and battling to the net. Or in a nicer place, a Stastny or ROR, can drive PP 2.

 

[Ozmodiar]

At the end of the day, a few things impeded Galchenyuk's ability to play center:

- development. the Habs should have dispensed of DD much sooner and played Galchenyuk at center from that mid-season 11 game stint a few years ago, onward.
- commitment to a defense first mentality required for centers who want to play in all situations.
- skating. his 4 step starts, a concern when he was drafted, never did improve a whole lot. he doesn't have quick feet, which is an obvious liability in defensive zone coverage.

So, plenty of blame to go around.

The sad thing is ... the Habs drafted a player advertised as #1 center in 2012. yada yada yada ... they have another small winger. At no time were they able to fill an organizational need.

 

[Leon Lucius Black]

The PP will certainly have a different look now. It was one of the only decent aspects of the Habs season last year.

If Patches returns, he'll take Chucky's spot as the right side trigger man. Hopefully, Weber is healthy to fire his bombs on the left. Gally's in front of the net and Drouin is setting things up. Will the fifth be Petry? My guess is Domi gets significant time early on. We'll see how that goes. Maybe he'll play the point with Weber.

For all his warts, Chucky was fun to watch on the PP.

Hudon should get moved to the first PP unit IMO. He has a good shot and has creativity and patience with the puck.

 

[Bryson]

I honestly think Bergevin is saying Domi is a winger who can play center to get rid of expectations so that fans and the media don't eat Domi alive. Look I think he's our 2c next year. Up until he got traded to us, Domi was a serviceable 2nd line center in Arizona who put up 28 points in 48 games.

I see a few scenarios. If we add a center I see;

Drouin - xxx - Gallagher
Pacioretty - Domi - Scherbak

or if we add a UFA winger

xxx - Drouin - Gallagher
Pacioretty - Domi - Scherbak


I think Domi has the tools to be a center. He's a decent 2 way player. Below average on faceoffs, but it's not unreasonable to expect some improvement there going into year two. Good Skater, high IQ paired with really good vision, and plays with a lot of energy every shift. Probably won't ever be an elite goal scorer, but if he can put up 15-20 goals ala his rookie season and continue to make his line mates better than we might have a very capable 2C on our hands. If he gets pushed to the wing by Kotkaniemi or Poehling or both than so be it, a good problem to have.

I think a Pacioretty - Domi pairing has a lot of upside. Plus I think he can Pivot PP1 allowing Drouin to play the Left D spot. I think the acquisition of Domi would allow us to run two very distinct powerplay units with something like:

Pacioretty - Domi - Scherbak
Drouin - Petry

as a high skilled, lot of lateral puck movement running mostly through Drouin. Pacioretty and Scherbak may actually play opposite wings with Domi being a puck hound forcing a lot of pressure.

They'll be countered with a PP that runs through Weber and is all about getting pucks to the net.

Shaw - Danault - Gallagher
Mete - Weber

Maybe sub Gallagher out as I really don't want to see him get another broken hand, but this is all about getting pucks to Weber and having guys driving and battling to the net. Or in a nicer place, a Stastny or ROR, can drive PP 2.

I think you might be right here. I think that management is planning on using Domi at center.

 

[Runner77]

I would be stunned if Domi isn’t a top-6 forward to start the season.

No doubt about it. And the order will come from the top. It won't be up to Julien, that much is certain.

Just as MB proclaimed that Galchenyuk was not a center and that no further time was needed at the position to convince him otherwise. Julien followed his marching orders and never let Galchenyuk get a sniff at center.

Domi instead will get the Drouin white glove treatment. Expect a whole season of unlimited rope. Bergevin gave up a top 6 player for him and knows that fans loved Galchenyuk. He will expect Domi to play top 6.

Not so sure how fans will react if Domi gets another 9 goal season including multiple empty netters or if he goes into a 2 goal in 53 game funk -- fans can't get pretty impatient -- especially if Galchenyuk has a roaring start while playing center in Zona.

 

[DAChampion]

No doubt about it. And the order will come from the top. It won't be up to Julien, that much is certain.

Just as MB proclaimed that Galchenyuk was not a center and that no further time was needed at the position to convince him otherwise. Julien followed his marching orders and never let Galchenyuk get a sniff at center.

Domi instead will get the Drouin white glove treatment. Expect a whole season of unlimited rope. Bergevin gave up a top 6 player for him and knows that fans loved Galchenyuk. He will expect Domi to play top 6.

Not so sure how fans will react if Domi gets another 9 goal season including multiple empty netters or if he goes into a 2 goal in 53 game funk -- fans can't get pretty impatient -- especially if Galchenyuk has a roaring start while playing center in Zona.

Julien signed with the Habs because of the money. He doesn't care about the Habs nor about the young players. He's there for the paycheck.

 

[Habsawce]

Julien signed with the Habs because of the money. He doesn't care about the Habs nor about the young players. He's there for the paycheck.

There's only 1 forward on this team that makes more than the coach.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

Well one was drafted 3rd overall and has more raw talent, the other was picked in 5th round. One is a big offensive player with natural skills, the other is more of a scrappy talented grinder. So, I can see why some people would think Galch is more of a natural scorer than Gallagher.
Not saying I agree, just that I understand the reasoning.

As for neither being legit 30 goal scorers, I think Galchenyuk could have definitely become one had we developed him properly. We completely wasted this prospect. Such a shame.
Him and Eller. Such failures from this management.

Regardless of what he could have been, he isn’t.

My point was just to say as is, with their current results people label Galchenyuk a 30 goal guy but don’t say same about Gallagher who has scored more in his career.

 

[theghost1]

Galchenyuk should have never been in the NHL at 18 he was not close to being ready even Ovechkin stayed over in Russia for 2 years did not come over until he was 20.

 

[Kriss E]

Regardless of what he could have been, he isn’t.

My point was just to say as is, with their current results people label Galchenyuk a 30 goal guy but don’t say same about Gallagher who has scored more in his career.

Yes, because they base it off the potential of each players.
Do I think Gallagher will score 30 again? Wouldn't bet on it.
Galch? Ya, I'd bet he does.

Not sure what's the big deal here.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

I think you might be right here. I think that management is planning on using Domi at center.

Please god no

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

Galchenyuk should have never been in the NHL at 18 he was not close to being ready even Ovechkin stayed over in Russia for 2 years did not come over until he was 20.

In hindsight it looks that way, but at the time everyone thought he was ready. Remember it was the lockout half season, so he played half a year in the OHL before joining the habs and pretty much everyone alive thought he was ready.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

This seems to have developed into a Bergevin thread and/or player usage thread, so continue discussion of MB in his thread and player usage in line-up or off-season thread.

Closing this one.