Rumors have been circulating for months that the Columbus Blue Jackets are in the market for a top-six center. While there are several routes the Jackets could take, the best fit for Columbus would be Alex Galchenyuk.
Alex Galchenyuk is the Player the Columbus Blue Jackets Need
Ever since trading Ryan Johansen to the Nashville Predators, the center position has been one of the Jackets’ weakest. Alexander Wennberg has become a respectable top-six center, and Nick Foligno has played well at the position this season. However, Columbus would benefit greatly from an upgrade at the 2C position. Galchenyuk would provide a noticeable improvement while not breaking the bank.
What Galchenyuk Would Bring to Columbus
Columbus is in need of a solid second line center to take some of the pressure off of Wennberg. This player should be able to boost the Jackets’ offensive production, especially on the powerplay, as well as win face-offs. Galchenyuk is capable of meeting most, if not all, of those needs.
Galchenyuk has often been the subject of criticism while with the Montreal Canadiens. However, his offensive production leaves little room for complaint. He had a career season in 2015-16, posting 56 points in 82 games. His production dropped in 2016-17 due to an injury, but he still managed to pass the 40-point mark in his shortened season.
Perhaps most important to the Jackets, Galchenyuk can produce on the powerplay. Despite a slow start to the season, Galchenyuk is second among Canadiens powerplay scoring. Three of Galchenyuk’s five goals through 26 games this season have been on the man advantage.
The only area in which Galchenyuk is lacking is face-offs. Galchenyuk holds a respectable 45.3% career face-off percentage and is 43.75% on the season. This places him about equal with Wennberg, who is 43.97% on the season. So, Galchenyuk would not bring a significant improvement to the face-off circle but certainly would not make matters worse.
The Asking Price
It is no secret that Galchenyuk has not exactly been a valued member of the Canadiens. At one point this season, Galchenyuk was demoted to the fourth line, and he was not even playing at center. Based on Montreal’s current needs and how much they value Galchenyuk, Columbus may be able to acquire him for a bargain price.
It is expected that the Jackets will use a bottom-six defenseman as a key piece in a trade for a center. Ryan Murray, Gabriel Carlsson, and Markus Nutivaara are all capable defensemen that would not hurt the Jackets too much to give up. Appropriately, the Habs are desperately in need of a young defenseman. Trading Mikhail Sergachev to the Tampa Bay Lightning has left Montreal lacking youth on the blue line. Any of those three defensemen, along with a future draft pick or prospects, could get the job done between the two teams. The question is how deep would Columbus be willing to dig to acquire Galchenyuk?
In terms of his cap hit, Galchenyuk is also a good value. He is signed through 2019-20 with a cap hit of $4.9 million, which the Jackets can afford even without considering who they trade away. With this term, the Jackets would have a few years before they would have to start worrying about re-signing Galchenyuk, and would also avoid tying up to much cap space.
Comparing Galchenyuk to Other Options
Last Word on Hockey Blue Jackets team manager Nic Hendrickson recently made the argument that Columbus should look to acquire Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. While Nugent-Hopkins would definitely fill the Jackets’ needs, it would likely be at a higher price. Galchenyuk would fill those same needs and is considerably more budget-friendly.
In terms of offensive production, Galchenyuk beats out Nugent-Hopkins in nearly every category. In 2016-17, Nugent-Hopkins had 43 points in 82 games with the Edmonton Oilers. Galchenyuk, meanwhile, produced 44 points in just 61 games with the Habs. In terms of powerplay production, an area in which Columbus desperately needs a boost, Galchenyuk posted a total of 15 powerplay points last season as compared to Nugent-Hopkins’ 11 points. Neither Galchenyuk nor Nugent-Hopkins would be much help when it comes to winning face-offs, but Galchenyuk’s career 45.3% in the dot is slightly better than Nugent-Hopkins’ 43.6%.
With players like Matt Duchene and Kyle Turris traded and off the market, Galchenyuk and Nugent-Hopkins are the two best options for Columbus. Both are respectable choices that would instantly improve the Jackets’ center depth. However, Galchenyuk slightly edges out Nugent-Hopkins in terms of offense and would likely come at a lower price. In any case, Columbus should look to acquire Galchenyuk soon, because, in all likelihood, he won’t be in Montreal much longer.
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