Top 50: Alex Galchenyuk takes over as the top NHL prospect

[hogtownhabsfan*]

Tbh, if Beaulieu made the list Tinordi should be somewhere ahead of him on it.

Agreed. I've had Tinordi above Beualieu the whole time, but now it's pretty obvious...


Not that I dislike Beaulieu, he's just so boom/bust while Tinordi is a lock to be a rock in a good teams top 4 D.

 

[Habs]

So he's already dominant? Really, it's a fair assesment. He is only 19 afterall. He's already a good player, but to become dominant he does have work to do.

His first step acceleration

Do you know how absurd of a statement that is? They just tag that to any young player no matter what their footspeed may be. The kid is the first one out of the zone on any given play. Watch the kid skate, he is never behind the breakout. It's a rehashed phrase to attach to all prospects when they have nothing else to say.

physicality, and defensive zone positioning

... wow, something 99.9% of the NHL players have to work on, how original.

 

[beaverBFP]

To be fair to the article, when you watch him play his first few steps aren't elite by any means.

 

[FrontierPsyCHiatrist*]

1. Alex Galchenyuk, C – Montreal Canadiens
Height: 6-1, Weight: 203, Spring ranking – 2

2. Jonathan Huberdeau, C/LW – Florida Panthers
Height: 6-1, Weight: 171, Spring ranking – 3

Galchenyuk is considered a center while he plays most of his games as a winger and Huberdeau is considered a center and a left winger (I think Hubby played as a winger, though).
Also, nice to see that Galchenyuk is 30 pounds heavier than Huberdeau.

Trouba 22nd? I'm shocked, are you guys sure this is an accurate list?

 

[JLP]

I notice eight of the top ten players are 6ft+

That's all.

 

[Quagmier]

To be fair to the article, when you watch him play his first few steps aren't elite by any means.

True, but i think there are a lot of other things that Galchenyuk needs to improve before his skating, which has come a long way in the past year alone. Not to mention the write adds physicality and defensive positioning as the other two aspects of his game that need improvement. What about being more assertive? Not rushing his passes? Finding space to unleash his shot? If you are going to prepare a list of the best prospects for website called "hockeysfuture" you should probably offer something a little more introspective than that cookie cutter stuff when writing about the number 1 prospect on your list.

As much as i love me some Gally, I find it VERY hard to justify his spot atop the prospect list, which is pretty bad overall.

 

[Halifaxhab*]

Do you know how absurd of a statement that is? They just tag that to any young player no matter what their footspeed may be. The kid is the first one out of the zone on any given play. Watch the kid skate, he is never behind the breakout. It's a rehashed phrase to attach to all prospects when they have nothing else to say.



... wow, something 99.9% of the NHL players have to work on, how original.

As good as it is, he can improve it. And defensively he does need to improve to become a #1C, and he is a little hesitant to initiate contact due to inexperience....all of these aspects of his game are compared to what he needs to DOMINATE not just show flashes of it. He's a really good player

It is a fair assessment to say he needs to step these up to become a DOMINANT centre.

 

[habsfanatics*]

Interesting take, personally I can't recall a Hab ever having such a great handle on the NHL game at the age of 18. Totally at home in this league.

Sure, I can probably agree to this, but the league is bigger than the habs. He's a top prospect for sure, but the best, I don't really think so.

I'm not knocking gally, he was my choice all along at # 3, but I don't think he was the consensus number for his own draft and I don't think he did enough to prove in his first year that he should have been. Does this mean he under-performed, absolutely not, but there are so many good young players now. I'm surprised he managed to finish ahead of Yakupov here tbh.

 

[MonkeyBusiness]

Galchenyuk is considered a center while he plays most of his games as a winger and Huberdeau is considered a center and a left winger (I think Hubby played as a winger, though).
Also, nice to see that Galchenyuk is 30 pounds heavier than Huberdeau.

Trouba 22nd? I'm shocked, are you guys sure this is an accurate list?

There's nothing wrong with Trouba at #22, also makes me laugh when people ask if this is an accurate list because these kind of lists are always subjective.

 

[Quagmier]

As good as it is, he can improve it. And defensively he does need to improve to become a #1C, and he is a little hesitant to initiate contact due to inexperience....all of these aspects of his game are compared to what he needs to DOMINATE not just show flashes of it. He's a really good player

It is a fair assessment to say he needs to step these up to become a DOMINANT centre.

Physicality i will agree with, as Gally's game will only get better the harder he becomes to knock off the puck, but honestly i don't think his game is that dependent on his speed but rather his fluidity. So im not sooo sure he needs to gain a step to become a dominant player.

Really i think it all comes down to tenacity for a guy like Galchenyuk. I think the raw tools are there, the playmaking is there, and it will come down to how much Galchenyuk decides to (borrowing a soccer term here) impose his will on a game on a nightly basis.

Another thing that always bugs me about lazily written articles is how broad their descriptors are. "Improve his defense" can mean 1000 different things. Defensive positioning? Intensity? Puck battles? Which aspect of his D needs improvement?

I'm of the opinion that the all-star forwards are only as good defensively as they want to be, and its really up to them to decide how much of a bias they want to associate to that aspect of their game. Really its a personality thing more than an Xs and Os thing.

For example: A guy like Crosby is only good defensively because he wants the puck so badly and is so strong down low that he'll go to great lengths in the D zone to get it. Same thing for a guy like Toews who is, by all accounts, such a driven, focused guy all the time that it just seems logical that his intensity would translate to a tenacious two-way game. Same reason Olympic teams slot star forwards into defensive roles and they (mostly) flourish.

I guess what I'm saying is that Galchenyuk's defensive evolution will come naturally, as he strikes me as the type of player to actually give a crap about playing good D. And thats really the most important thing. Even the best two way forwards in the league struggled with that aspect early on in their career, but so long as he has the fire to compete at both ends of the ice (which he does, of that i am sure), then the finer points will come. For now, i just want his offensive game to take the next step before i start worrying about his D.

There's nothing wrong with Trouba at #22, also makes me laugh when people ask if this is an accurate list because these kind of lists are always subjective.

Granted the listmaker likely didn't have the benefit of watching Trouba's first NHL game (which was one of the more impressive NHL debuts ive ever seen btw), but even without that he should have been a top 10 prospect. He's ahead of Hamilton anyways (IMO).

Trouba will be the best defenseman from that draft class, which is saying alot considering how good a crop of defensemen it was. I thought it before he logged 25 quality minutes in his first NHL game and i believe it more now. There is absolutely nothing to dislike about his game and the strides he's taken since he was drafted have been incredible. Winnipeg's top 4 almost seems borderline unfair at this point.

 

[Lebowski]

Do you know how absurd of a statement that is? They just tag that to any young player no matter what their footspeed may be. The kid is the first one out of the zone on any given play. Watch the kid skate, he is never behind the breakout. It's a rehashed phrase to attach to all prospects when they have nothing else to say.



... wow, something 99.9% of the NHL players have to work on, how original.

... Galchenyuk does need to improve his first few steps. That's probably his biggest weakness right now. Improving his shiftiness could be what turns him into an absolute monster offensively.

Also, I don't see what's wrong in saying he needs to improve his physicality. He's a big guy, but he often appears shy on the ice. He could use his body a lot more and play with more aggressiveness.

I don't know why you're getting your panties in a bunch for that.

 

[beaverBFP]

He definitely improved his physicality this season, you see him finish his checks on the forecheck instead of doing a fly by, but still needs to improve.

 

[JustAHabFan]

Sure, I can probably agree to this, but the league is bigger than the habs. He's a top prospect for sure, but the best, I don't really think so.

I'm not knocking gally, he was my choice all along at # 3, but I don't think he was the consensus number for his own draft and I don't think he did enough to prove in his first year that he should have been. Does this mean he under-performed, absolutely not, but there are so many good young players now. I'm surprised he managed to finish ahead of Yakupov here tbh.

Yakupov played 2 more minutes per game than Glachenyuk. He played on the PP. And he was only had 4 more points than Gally after 48 games. He was abysmal on defense (-4) compared to +14 for Gally. I think Gally had a better season than Yakupov last year.

 

[habsfanatics*]

Yakupov played 2 more minutes per game than Glachenyuk. He played on the PP. And he was only had 4 more points than Gally after 48 games. He was abysmal on defense (-4) compared to +14 for Gally. I think Gally had a better season than Yakupov last year.

Anyways, you're entitled to your opinion, I don't agree with it, but it's all good. Plus/minus means almost nothing when you consider the rosters and the utilization of the players. Gally was sheltered well by Therrien. I don't think Gally did enough to overtake yakupov, I'm not saying he stunk.

 

[Stoneburg]

I am kind of tired of writers calling Galchenyuk "big" when he is 6'1", that is average, not big.

 

[Bourdon101]

I think the difference from last year and this year is that he is less shy. He was much more vocal and active after the whistle from the few games he played. His compete level and confidence to make plays should be affected by it, positively.

About the list, the only player I would clearly take above Galchenyuk is Jones, then its debatable.

 

[No More Subban]

So I just ordered a Galchenyuk home jersey. Hopefully he stays with number 27.. forever.

 

[HuGo Sham]

Tinordi should be in top 50

 

[Mike Mike Caron]

Tinordi should be in top 50

Gallagher and Galchenyuk deserve to be there, Beaulieau too but Tinordi is a bit of a reach. Considering that 50 players is not even two prospects per team.

 

[Suzuki x 14]

WHAT A BEAST and Monday morning when I go watch the practice at Brossard, Im bringing my blank white jersey to put GALCHENYUK 27 in the back to add to my collection

67 Pacioretty
11 Gallagher
31 Price
76 Subban

gonna have all the young stars... I love our youngsters!!!

 

[Kenny Powders]

I am kind of tired of writers calling Galchenyuk "big" when he is 6'1", that is average, not big.

6'1 203lbs at 19 is a beast.

 

[Shaby23]

I thought Gallagher would be at least top 20.. OH well.

 

[Shaby23]

I am kind of tired of writers calling Galchenyuk "big" when he is 6'1", that is average, not big.

Big doesn't mean tall.

 

[Suzuki x 14]

Despite my excitement on Galchenyuk being #1, when I look at the rest of the list, I think its a joke...

Gallagher in my honest opinion should be ahead of...

Lehner, Gormley, Reinhart, Hertl, Grandlund, Monahan, Nyquist, Toffoli, Lindholm, Schwatz, Vasilevsky, Baertschi and Markstrom

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

6'1 203lbs at 19 is a beast.

yeah think of how skinny Eller and Patches were when they were drafted compared to AG and thik how big they are now.

He could (remote possibility) end up in Ovie, Kovalchuk weight category. He should at the very least be north of 220 when he fills out which is damn good for his height.

Would be interesting to know how big 'vechkin and Kovalchuk were when drafted.