The Habs kept their 3rd overall pick on Friday night and used it to select
centre Alex Galchenyuk. The Sarnia centre missed all but the final two
games of the regular season due to an ACL injury but was healthy enough to put
up four points in six postseason games. He becomes the highest player to
be selected by Montreal since Doug Wickenheiser.
The 6’0, 198 lb forward stormed onto the scene in 2010-11 after being the
first overall pick in the 2010 OHL Priority Draft, putting up 83 points in 68
games. That put him second in the league in rookie scoring behind first
overall selection Nail Yakupov. Before joining Sarnia, he was the MWEHL’s
leading scorer by a whopping 33 points in 2009-10.
Galchenyuk has moved around in his life, spending time in the USA, Germany,
Switzerland, Italy, and Russia. One place he hasn’t lived is Belarus
although that’s who his father suited up for in the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics.
Montreal’s latest prospect plays internationally for the Americans.
Scouting Reports
TSN: "Alex is the center who makes everybody around him better and helps
teams win. It begins with an excellent understanding of all the essential
elements in the game. He plays a complete game and is a competitor in all the
critical areas. He doesn’t take shortcuts and values the plays that are
important to winning."
The Hockey News: "Some of the comparisons you get, I’ve heard his game
compared to Marian Hossa but I’ve heard when he was with Chicago he had the best
hands since Bobby Ryan when he played in that league."
The Scouting Bureau: "Galchenyuk’s vision, stick wizardry and ability to
operate in traffic are elite attributes and they complement his masterful
playmaking skills perfectly. Alex’s sturdy frame and strong stick makes him
difficult to knock off of the puck and a force to deal with in the offensive
zone often resulting in more space for his linemates."
Quotes
Bergevin on Galchenyuk: "We had our eyes on him all along. `I met him a
few times and I was impressed."
Galchenyuk on being drafted: ""I just love to play hockey and I’ll love to
play hockey for the Montreal Canadiens, hopefully in the near future. I just
can’t wait."