Undervalued UFA Options For The Ottawa Senators This Off-season
‘Chucky’ is likely to be the most divisive player on this list. There’s absolutely no covering up his horrendous 2019-20 campaign. After starting the year in Pittsburgh, he quickly turned into a liability, especially on the defensive side of the puck. By the end of his time with the Penguins, he was a healthy scratch. After being a cap dump in the Jason Zucker trade, Galchenyuk looked slightly better in Minnesota, but still at replacement level.
The surprise shouldn't be that Alex Galchenyuk is a healthy scratch, but that it took this long. Would look good on an AHL powerplay though. #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/AfwqhzDDms
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) February 6, 2020
So what exactly is the appeal here for the Senators? Well, he’s got a decent track record, with a pair of 50+ point campaigns with the Montreal Canadiens. Galchenyuk also has some decent value on the power-play, and considering the Senators’ struggle with the man advantage last year (31st in the NHL), they could use all the help they can get.
All of Galchenyuk’s issues point to his defense. Perhaps some time with a defensive specialist like D.J. Smith could do him some good. If he can limit the amount of chances against his team when he’s on the ice, he’ll become a much more effective player. There’s a reason why he was once a 3rd overall draft pick.
Not likely to have a lot of takers this summer, Galchenyuk should cost somewhere around the $1m mark. That’s pretty low for a 26-year-old that once looked to be on the verge of stardom. Anthony Duclair was in an extremely similar position before being dumped on the Senators, and if he’s proven anything, taking a gamble on a former high ceiling player is always worthwhile.
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