The Arizona Coyotes have announced that center Alex Galchenyuk will be week-to-week with a lower-body injury. He is also expected to miss the season opener.
INJURY UPDATE: #Coyotes forward Alex Galchenyuk is listed as week to week with a lower-body injury. He is not expected to be ready for Opening Night. pic.twitter.com/7MrBg0cAOy
— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) September 25, 2018
Alex Galchenyuk to Miss Time With Lower-Body Injury
Galchenyuk was injured in the Coyotes split-squad exhibition game on Tuesday, September 18th against the Los Angeles Kings. The Coyotes won the game 4-2 and Galchenyuk contributed two goals before he got hurt.
Over his six-year NHL career, Galchenyuk has played for the Montreal Canadiens and Arizona Coyotes. He has scored 108 goals along with 147 assists for 255 points in 418 games. In 28 Stanley Cup Playoff games, Galchenyuk has scored four goals and 9 assists for 13 points. Galchenyuk was originally drafted third overall by the Canadiens in the 2012 NHL Draft.
Last season he scored 19 goals and 32 assists for 51 points in 82 games. He also added 22 minutes in penalties. His possession numbers were 49.3 percent Corsi with a relative Corsi of -1.5 percent. Galchenyuk has two years left on his three-year, $14.7 million dollar deal that he signed with the Habs in July 2017.
What This Means for the Future
Galchenyuk who was traded from Montreal to Arizona in June is expected to see time at center for the Coyotes. While in Montreal Galchenyuk never had a clear role and saw time both at center and on the wing. Galchenyuk brings youth and scoring to a young Coyotes team who has been lacking a number one scorer. In Arizona, Galchenyuk will finally get a chance to play center and have his role clearly laid out for him unlike in his time in Montreal.
In his first home pre-season game with the Coyotes, Galchenyuk scored two goals, one on the power-play and one at even strength. Expect Dylan Strome and Christian Dvorak to compete for the second line centre spot during Galchenyuk’s absence, though Strome and Dvorak are currently out with minor injuries.
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