Alex Galchenyuk was drafted 3rd overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Galchenyuk was injured for almost all of the season giving scouts a lot of questions, basing his rank in 6 playoff games. Good thing Galchenyuk played outstanding in his first year with Sarnia recording 83 points in 68 games. Prior to his OHL career, Galchenyuk became a star player for the U16 Chicago Young Americans. He tallied 87 points in 38 games which led him to be picked 1st overall in the 2010 OHL Priority Draft by the Sarnia Sting.
In his second game of the 2011-2012 season with Sarnia, he suffered a knee injury which led him to miss the whole regular season. My gut feeling says if Galchenyuk were to play the whole season, he would of been picked 1st overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. The injury caused Galchenyuk to lose a year of development, which is no good for a player looking to jump right into the NHL. Galchenyuk will try and make the team this year, but if he does not, it is good for him to develop in the OHL for one more year.
Scouting Report:
Galchenyuk has a large frame, weighing 198 pounds, standing tall at 6'1. He has outstanding offensive puck skills. Galchenyuk carries great acceleration, footwork, and is strong on his skates. He is also great at reading plays due to his pure skating ability. Galchenyuk has outstanding ice vision even with his speed, he is intelligent with the puck, and makes intelligent plays and passes. He is physical along the boards, creates space and is great at winning battles. Another great thing about Alex is how he executes plays with his quickness, along with that, he posses a heavy shot and a quick release. His only flaw is his positional play, playing in the OHL for one more year can help him improve on that. At the beginning of the season he was my pick to be number one overall because I believed he was and still is the most dynamic offensively skilled player in that draft.
Projection:
A lockout could be good for Galchenyuk, but if the NHLPA and NHL do come to an agreement, expect Galchenyuk to stay in the OHL for one more year to further develop his play. He is expected to be a top six forward. Montreal fans should be happy with their selection because you have a future star.
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