Fansided NHL Mock Draft Pick 3 – Montreal Canadiens
On behalf of the Montreal Canadiens, A Winning Habit selects Alex Galchenyuk, center from the Sarnia Sting of the OHL.
Read A Winning Habit’s reasoning for selecting the American player with Russian bloodlines here.
SenShot’s Take
After a knee injury kept him from playing all but two games this season, it is a testament to his ability and overall skill level that Galchenyuk was able to maintain his #2 rating by Central Scouting. Montreal is in a spot where they need to add size to their forward ranks, and at 6’1″ (or 6’2″ depending who you ask) and 185 lbs, he doesn’t really fit that bill but given the talent available. Montreal is probably quietly hoping that the 6’3″, 200 lb Grigorenko drops to them in the #3 spot, which could very easily happen with a shuffling expected in front of them.
Galchenyuk will undergo a lot of scrutiny at the upcoming NHL combine as well as private examinations to ascertain if there are any lingering issues from the devastating injury suffered in September. He did return for the 2 games near the end of the regular season and played all 6 games in the playoffs, scoring 4 points but was a -6 in the series loss.
His talent is unquestionable, and if the health questions are answered, then the Canadiens could be getting a steal at the #3 spot.
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