We have just learned that Alex Galchenyuk is not the player Marc Bergevin was going to draft in 2012

PUBLICATION

David St-Jean
September 4, 2023 (1:00 PM)

SHARE THIS STORY

Over the past few weeks, Alex Galchenyuk hasn't necessarily been making headlines for the right reasons as he now plays in the KHL. All signs point to his NHL career being over, just over 10 years after being drafted third overall by the Montreal Canadiens.

It's important to remember that Galchenyuk had some strong moments for the Habs, including:

-27 points in 48 games in his rookie season
-31 points in 65 games in his second season
-Nearly 50 points and 20 goals in his third season
-56 points, including 30 goals, in 2015-16
-44 points in 61 games in 2016-17 (a pace of 60 points per season)
-And 51 points in his final season with the Canadiens.

Clearly, he had his best NHL moments in Montreal. It's not fair to label him as a total "bust"; he is still the fifth-highest scorer from his draft class.

Regarding this, Marco Normandin spotted an interesting tidbit. In a column by journalist Mathias Brunet from La Presse, it was revealed that Marc Bergevin openly admitted that Galchenyuk was not his target when the Canadiens stepped up to the podium in 2012.

Bergevin's favorite was Rielly

If it had been up to Bergevin alone, he would have drafted defenseman Morgan Rielly. Wow.

"Yes, I liked Rielly a lot. But I had just been hired on May 2, and my new staff liked Alex Galchenyuk a lot. I was with Chicago that season, and we had a later pick. We didn't waste time with Galchenyuk, who was probably going to be chosen among the first; besides, he had hardly played that winter. I looked at our center situation, we had David Desharnais, Tomas Plekanec, and Chucky was considered a center. You step into the job, you haven't seen Galchenyuk play, and you're going to force them to take another player? That's not a good way to start a relationship. I let them choose. Plus, I agreed, I knew we needed centers. But I really liked Morgan Rielly." - Marc Bergevin

Imagine if Bergevin had followed his instincts and drafted Rielly.

We're talking about a defenseman drafted fifth overall that year, who has accumulated 414 points in 719 career NHL games, including 41 points in 65 games last season (a pace of 55 points per season). He also added nearly 70 points in the 2021-22 season.

It would have been a solid addition for the Canadiens, but let's admit that things turned out quite well for the Habs in this case. Galchenyuk became Max Domi, who became Josh Anderson, and Anderson continues to make valuable contributions to the Canadiens today.

Credit : HABSolumentFan