Montreal Canadiens: Why isn’t Alex Galchenyuk at centre?

Throughout all the trying times and injuries this season, the Montreal Canadiens haven’t even considered playing Alex Galchenyuk at centre.

It comes down to two options when looking at Alex Galchenyuk‘s lack of playing time down the middle for the Montreal Canadiens. Is it stubbornness/an attempt to save face, or is there a bigger plan at large. The first option, at the moment, seems to be the most likely scenario to be taking place as it doesn’t make sense that the Habs haven’t plugged Galchenyuk down the middle.

There was a moment where the 24-year-old was playing at centre when Jonathan Drouin left a game early with a lower-body injury. The media asked Claude Julien during the post-game scrums if whether that was something the Habs would try again down the line. Julien responded that the team would play Galchenyuk at centre if they needed to.

So what has happened since then? Injuries to Phillip Danault, Andrew Shaw, and Charles Hudon, all players who can play centre on the team. Even last game, Danault was forced to sit out due to neck stiffness, and A. Shaw was plugged in to play centre leaving Galchenyuk on the wing. Julien provided fans with another reason for this in the past saying that he is reluctant to split Galchenyuk up from Jonathan Drouin in an attempt to further build chemistry.

The two are playing together now, but there was a stretch of games where Galchenyuk was on Danault’s wing instead. It’s really tough to wrap your head around this situation. The young forward is better than the player he was at the beginning of the season. He’s more confident, reliable, and makes more use of his hockey sense in the defensive zone keeping himself out of highlight reels against each game.

But still, Galchenyuk remains on the wing. Even though the season is virtually over, the Habs still refuse to do it.

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Is this a way to keep the 2012 first-round pick hungry? I was a big proponent of this idea last summer when Julien and Marc Bergevin both shared their thoughts saying Galchenyuk isn’t a centre. Perhaps management is trying to drive any sense of complacency from him to ensure that he has a productive offseason.

Imagine a line with say Galchenyuk at centre with Nikita Scherbak and Daniel Carr. You would have instant chemistry between Galchenyuk and Scherbak who looked great playing together before and someone in Carr who is relentless on the puck and create space. Artturi Lehkonen or Hudon, whenever he returns from injury, could fit in a similar role with the number of shots and scoring chances they generate on their own.

It’s been a topic debated by many who cover the team all season, but it doesn’t make sense, at least from the outside looking in, to keep Galchenyuk on the wing. Even if the plan is to move on from him in the offseason, wouldn’t playing him at centre increase his trade value? Now I’m not saying the Habs should trade Galchenyuk, in fact, I’m completely against that idea. But that’s just another penny in the jar of reasons why the Habs could consider playing him down the middle again.

Galchenyuk at centre is probably one of the most debated topics around the Montreal Canadiens this season. Unfortunately, it’s one that may not go away until the team gives it a final chance. Does that ever happen? I’ll leave you to be the judge.

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Do you think the Habs should play Galchenyuk at centre? Why aren’t they? Let us know your thoughts down below.