Beaulieu offers huge compliment to Galchenyuk

Do you agree with the former Hab?

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 6 years ago
Beaulieu offers huge compliment to Galchenyuk
KeyStone Press

Just when you think we're done talking about Alex Galchenyuk at center, something new comes out.

Well this time, it's former Montreal Canadien blue liner Nathan Beaulieu who spoke out about what he thinks of one of his best friends in 'Chucky'.

Beaulieu, speaking to Arpon Basu of The Athletic, says: “In my eyes he’s a number one centre in the NHL for pretty much every team. There’s so much skill, so much talent and he brings so much to the club. They’re just trying to see where he fits best and sometimes that’s best. Who knows what’s going through their heads about Chucky? But I’m not a coach, it’s just what I see as a player.”

Galchenyuk was infamously placed on the fourth line left wing by the end of last year's playoffs against the New York Rangers. General manager Marc Bergevin spoke categorically before training camp, stating that Galchenyuk would not start as a center and from his overall statement, one could gather that they've given up on him there.

Galchenyuk has had a rough pre-season, often trying to be too fancy, making a lot of broken plays and generally not showing enough care. This isn't normally a huge issue for veteran players whose spots are secured, but with all the controversy surrounding him, he would've served himself well to give a better showing.

He had a solid final game against the Ottawa Senators, scoring a goal and an assist within 30 seconds of each other. His issue has always been consistency and a willingness to play a smart 200-foot game. This is why he finds himself on the wing on what is likely the third line, with Phillip Danault and Andrew Shaw.

Do you agree with Beaulieu, or with the coaches?

Source: The Athletic