Galchenyuk Looking to Prove the Toronto Maple Leafs Right

When the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Alex Galchenyuk abruptly from the Carolina Hurricanes in February, it wasn’t seen as a very significant move.

The former 3rd overall pick had recently cleared waivers, and was even given up on by a  bottom-feeding Senators squad. Yep, it was just like that darn Josh Holden trade all over again!

Okay, so maybe the Josh Holden comparison is a little unfair. Granted they were both 1st round picks (Holden 12, Galchenyuk 3), both drafted as left-handed shooting centres and they both have almost identical listed physical stats (6.0″ 195, 6.1″ 194, respectively. All stats courtesy of hockey-reference.com) but that’s pretty much where the similarities end.

Galchenyuk was taken two spots before Morgan Rielly in the 2012 draft and just ahead of other notable names such as Filip Forsberg, Matt Dumba, Jacob Trouba, Tom Wilson, Teuvo Teravainen, Tomas Hertl and Tanner Pearson. The only one in that list (and in the entire draft) who currently has more points than Galchenyuk is Forsberg.

As for goals, Galchenyuk ranks 3rd on that list, with just six fewer than Hertl. He also holds the top spot for games played, narrowly beating out the Leafs’ own, Morgan Rielly (Fun fact: Frederik Andersen was also taken in this draft in the late 3rd round. I had no idea I would come across that titbit. Or that there was a real player named Slater Koekkoek).

Toronto Maple Leafs and Alex Galchenyuk

Well, Alex was actually consistently putting up respectable numbers until he was moved to the Penguins, where things started to take a downward turn. Prior to landing in Pittsburgh, Galchenyuk averaged 15 minute per-game but in 45 games with the Pens his minutes dropped to 11.29.

And things didn’t get any better when he joined Ottawa this season. In eight games with the Senators Galchenyuk managed only a single goal and saw his minutes fall again, this time to 9.30. A shooting percentage of just under 6 didn’t do much to help matters either. 

So what does this mean for Galchenyuk and the Toronto Maple Leafs going forward? It appears that the Leafs see the potential and skill that Galchenyuk possesses and want to put him in a position to succeed. His minutes have slowly trended upwards since arriving in Toronto, sitting at an even 12 per game. He has looked tenacious and capable playing alongside John Tavares and William Nylander and has almost proved his worth by this absolute beauty of a dish against the Oilers.

In seven games so far with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Galchenyuk has posted a 53% Corsi, while the Leafs are getting 56% of the shots and 62% of the expected goals.  Those numbers are excellent, and he’s been the best winger Tavares and Nylander have had this year.  (naturalstattrick.com).

With the April 12 trade deadline fast approaching, the cap-crunched Leafs will need to employ some serious levels of creativity and maneuvering to be able to take on any new player salary. If Galchenyuk can get back to the player he was (before the Penguins dug their webbed claws into him) then maybe that will be a moot point after all.