All purpose Alex Galchenyuk talk

[nobody]

I just wanted to make a thread about the kid so we can get some discussion on him.

So far from what I've seen out of him in his 3 games, his effort is definitely there. He's been hustling on the backcheck and hasn't played lazy hockey at all, which was something that haunted him in these past few seasons. His skating has been pretty darn good for someone that was advertised as a terrible skater. He has shown flashes of his skill, especially making passes in small windows but that line overall hasn't really clicked at all yet.

I think he definitely has something to offer to this team and his play has been a pleasant surprise thus far. If that line doesn't start producing, I wonder if Keefe would think about perhaps swapping him and Simmonds. Simmonds played great with Willy and JT before his injury and I think the overall speed and board work of that line allows him to more effectively play his game. Galchenyuk might benefit from playing with Mitch and Auston because both those guys have very good north-south games and open up a good amount of space for the 3rd guy and Galchenyuk most definitely has a rocket of a shot that can be unleashed from those Marner/ Matthews setups. JT and Willy play a more grind-it-out game that's less flashy and I think Simmonds would play well into the identity of that line.

Also a little OT, but I wouldn't mind giving Jumbo some rest here and there and try to get Robertson into some games.

Galchenyuk - Matthews - Marner
Simmonds - JT - Nylander
Mikheyev - Engvall - Hyman
Jumbo - Kerfoot - Spezza


EDIT:

Leafs 9-1-1 with Galchenyuk in the lineup. (as of April 10th)

Click to read more...

 

[OB34KNH]

He could've had 2-3 points this game.
He set up Rielly in the 3rd period, almost scored on the wrap around in the 3rd period, almost scored in OT in the 3rd period as well.

Very impressive. He's playing like a top 6 fwd right now.
He needs to be put on the PP2 or PP1, we don't need both Thornton/Simmonds on PP1. Put Galchenyuk in for one of them.

 

[Mr Hockey]

I like him, I think he is a fit on this team somewhere, I would like to see him turn into a Hyman'ish like player, I dont think he has the IQ to be an elite scorer, he has to give up that dream if that is what he thinks he is

 

[nobody]

I like him, I think he is a fit on this team somewhere, I would like to see him turn into a Hyman'ish like player, I dont think he has the IQ to be an elite scorer, he has to give up that dream if that is what he thinks he is

I feel like it's a confidence issue with him. The guy 100% has the skill to be an elite scorer but I feel like he just lacks the patience to allow his skill to take over. You know when the great players say that the game slows down for them and they can make plays, Galchenyuk seems to do the opposite. He rushes the plays. For example that wrap-around attempt resulted in him having the puck 4 feet from the net. He could've easily settled the playdown and backed off a little to give himself a little more space and he would've had a much better shooting option or a wide-open backdoor pass to Rielly(?) who was rushing down to the goal line.

Small little details but if he can play with confidence, I think we can turn his career around. I'm loving his attitude and the effort level out there though. I haven't seen this kind of hustle and commitment to backchecking since his Montreal days. I really hope he can find chemistry and become more comfortable in his own game and blossom into a good player. He's the first project player we're taking on that has the potential to put this team over the top in the playoffs, should he round back into form.

And yes, before people bitch at me for dreaming. It's lofty goals but I think we're due for a Joffrey Lupul-type resurgence.

 

[Stephen]

He’s been a solid addition so far. Good work rate, a little bite and takes up room. Seems to have a reputation for a lack of hockey IQ and I see a bit of what the critics were talking about though on a forming 2 on 1 in the Ottawa game. Instead of driving wide after he dished the puck to get into a scoring position he slowed down and kind of drifted behind the puck carrier. Like why would you want to be the trailing guy on that play? Just jumped out as kind of a weird play.

 

[nobody]

He’s been a solid addition so far. Seems to have a reputation for a lack of hockey IQ and I see a bit of what the critics were talking about though on a forming 2 on 1 in the Ottawa game. Instead of driving wide after he dished the puck to get into a scoring position he slowed down and kind of drifted behind the puck carrier. Like why would you want to be the trailing guy on that play? Just jumped out as kind of a weird play.

Agreed. His hockey IQ definitely needs work. I think he's a guy with a ton of skill but lacks the imagination to see the plays developing. Like I said in a previous post, I feel like he would benefit from slowing the game down in his mind and not being so reactive/ jumpy. His game is very choppy. I hope he can learn a few things by being around Willy/ Mitch/ JT/ Auston. He needs a little swagger in his game to be effective. When he had that with the Habs, he almost always in the right spot at the right time.

 

[Super Mega]

I was pretty shocked how good he was with the Marlies. Hasn't missed a beat with the leafs. My only worry is that historically he takes a shift/period off, need him with the pedal down.

 

[OVO16]

I love his game. Actually a perfect type of playstyle to compliment the leafs forward group

Has a robust style of play. Extreme huslte. Finishes his checks. And has the Skill to put up pts on the board as secondary scoring.

 

[nobody]

I was pretty shocked how good he was with the Marlies. Hasn't missed a beat with the leafs. My only worry is that historically he takes a shift/period off, need him with the pedal down.

The one thing I really admire about the Keefe-coached teams is that they usually have very good/ consistent compete. So, the fact that he's playing with such competitive guys every game, if he slacks off, you know he's going to stand out in a major way. I think the fear of not wanting to be the odd man out might be motivation enough for him to continue to try and build up his consistency. If these were the Bozak, Kessel days where players would start floating around for stretches then I could see Galchenyuk running into trouble. But this team tries hard and even though they're not great some nights, I can really respect their effort level.

 

[nobody]

I love his game. Actually a perfect type of playstyle to compliment the leafs forward group

Has a robust style of play. Extreme huslte. Finishes his checks. And has the Skill to put up pts on the board as secondary scoring.

I think once he starts to mesh, he's got a shot at being a 50 point guy. Something we hoped to get out of Kappy/ AJ but never saw. I hope he chooses to stay with us for a few more years to build his value back up. I think this is the best shot he's going to get at a team investing into him to bring him back to his potential or at least close to it.

 

[1specter]

I'm looking forward to see what they can do with him with a proper off-season. Hopefully rebuild his skating a bit, go over some game tape, and build back the fundamentals. The talent and effort are there, he could be a solid contributor if everything goes right.

 

[Goose]

Didn’t see much of the game and couldn’t rewind the one shot I saw, but does he have a weird release?

 

[nobody]

Didn’t see much of the game and couldn’t rewind the one shot I saw, but does he have a weird release?

I'm not sure if he has a weird release or he just rushes his shot to catch goalies off guard. I remember in his junior days, he had a very exaggerated toe drag (similar to what Spezza has). I think his best asset by far is his one-timer and the more he learns to use that effectively, the more he'll produce. Not sure if he's got the velocity or the accuracy on his wrist shots to beat goalies clean and so he just relies on trying to catch them with their timing? He definitely needs to work on that skill.

 

[Goose]

I'm not sure if he has a weird release or he just rushes his shot to catch goalies off guard. I remember in his junior days, he had a very exaggerated toe drag (similar to what Spezza has). I think his best asset by far is his one-timer and the more he learns to use that effectively, the more he'll produce. Not sure if he's got the velocity or the accuracy on his wrist shots to beat goalies clean and so he just relies on trying to catch them with their timing? He definitely needs to work on that skill.

yeah that’s actually maybe what it looked like, a toe drag but with the puck further in front of him than you would expect to see a toe drag with.

 

[Menzinger]

I like what I see so far.

If he can keep this up he may earn a contract renewal

 

[Rielly4]

Hes been a really solid surprise. Although i do worry over time his work ethic will start to go down, hes fighting for his life right now and its showing. His skill is better then the average grinder who works as hard as he is right now.

 

[crump]

His skills in tight on the cycle are perfect for that line. He shows hustle and some physical quality to his game, seems to make the right play in the cycle. Nothing to complain about so far, that whole line is struggling a bit to score right now, but a goal will eventually come for him.

 

[613Leafer]

Last night he was great. Created a bunch of chances, went hard after the puck in the corner, no noticeable hiccups defensively, etc.

 

[Warden of the North]

I haven't been overly impressed. His linemates have been crap though

 

[ottomaddox]

I hesitate to compliment him. He does work hard. He is not great. Sort of what you might expect for a million five. Not so great at most things. Waiting...

 

[dubplatepressure]

I mean he's getting some chances, but so was Barabanov before he was yanked from the lineup (Barabanov has 5 pts in 2 AHL games BTW). Personally I see his skillset as too similar to what we already have.

 

[Budz]

I have no complaints about his play. I also believe he needs to play with 16 and 34.

 

[BlackTipReefer]

I really like what he has brought to the team. He has surprised me.

 

[123offtheglass]

Gotta say he's really surprised me based on what I saw of him in Pittsburgh, he was god awful there; looks like a completely different player for the Leafs. Gotta be his mindset; hats off to the the Leafs development staff, management, Keefe & Chucky himself. Hope he keeps up this tenacity & builds off it. Give the man some PP time once he earns it, he will be a weapon there.

 

[NK94]

He’s so much better than Vesey it’s actually a breath of fresh air. I’ve had no issues with the second line of late, but whiners will whine.