Galchenyuk Embraces Trade to Coyotes, Move to Center

GLENDALE -Alex Galchenyuk is expected to compete for a job as a center with the Coyotes next season. If Head Coach Rick Tocchet indeed decides to go that lineup route, it would be a welcome change for the 24-year-old forward, whom Arizona acquired via a trade with Montreal for forward Max Domi on Friday night.
"The second I went on social media and read the comments about me playing center, that's what I want and I'm excited about it," Galchenyuk told reporters via conference call on Saturday. "I'm preparing already for it and I can't wait to get started."

Galchenyuk said he asked Canadiens Head Coach Claude Julien if he could return to the center position late last season, but the answer was no. It's a role he played early in his NHL career and much prefers, and he feels his skills are well suited for center ice.
"At center you're more involved in the game," Galchenyuk said. "I feel you touch the puck (and) you have the puck on your stick way more than a winger. I feel really comfortable when I have the puck on my stick. In the course of the game you want to have it as much as you can and I really believe in my offensive abilities when I have the puck … There's obviously a lot of people talking about the defensive side of the game, too, and I'm excited to work on that. I'm just really happy to be having this opportunity."

Coyotes General Manager John Chayka told reporters on Friday that he and his staff see potential for Galchenyuk to succeed as a center.
"He's a naturally, talented guy," Chayka said. "He's got all the attributes to play the position. He's big, strong, skates well, makes good plays. Offensively, he's clearly better playing out of the middle of the ice. It's just the details of playing center and commitment to playing it 82 games. For a lot of young centers it's an issue and we feel he's in that group, but we're betting on a change of scenery and getting him to Arizona with Rick Tocchet."

Tocchet told NHL Network on Saturday that he will consider moving Galchenyuk to center.
"I'll talk to him - I'm a big believer in talking to players - and see what he's comfortable with and then we'll go from there," Tocchet said. "But I'm excited. He's a talented kid. He can find the net and he's not afraid to go play inside the box, and he's a good power-play guy. As a coach, you're always looking for two-way hockey players. If we put him in the middle and he wants to play there, that's something where you've got him and (Derek) Stepan, and (Christian) Dvorak and (Marcus) Kruger and Dylan Strome. Now you've got something where you're getting some traction up the middle. When you get guys like that, that can play a 200-foot game and can put the puck in the net, that's when as coaches we get real comfortable behind the bench. You don't have to worry about changing people when you have draws in your own end. That's something we can hopefully work Alex in."

Galchenyuk said he learned of the trade to the Coyotes via Twitter while on an airplane en route to Italy for a vacation. He never asked to be dealt to another team, but he sensed he might be leaving the club that drafted him third overall in 2012 this off-season.
"I loved being in Montreal and loved playing there," Galchenyuk said. "...The last couple years I kind of knew that something might happen and now it did. I'm really excited to be part of the Arizona Coyotes. Just looking at the roster and seeing so many young, skilled players on the team, it definitely gets you excited. But there's also the defensive corps, and a lot of veterans, and great goaltending, too. How can you not be excited coming to a team like that?"

Galchenyuk played six seasons for Montreal and scored 108 goals in 418 games. He notched 30 of those tallies in 2015-16, playing primarily at center. He's won 45.3 percent of his NHL face-offs.
"There's obviously a lot of emotions," Galchenyuk said of his reaction to the trade. "It's something that I've never been through in my life before … I have no regrets in Montreal. I had a lot of great times there and those friendships last a lifetime. I have a lot of love for the city of Montreal and the fans … This is a fresh start. I've received so many texts from guys around the League saying it's really a great place to play."