Christmas in June : Alex Galchenyuk

by JHabs, AllHabs.net

MONTREAL, QC. — Speed, vision, hockey IQ, and all around elite are words that have been used in conjunction with Sarnia Sting forward Alex Galchenyuk. The Milwaukee native is a super star on the rise, and will be one of three prime targets in the draft following Nail Yakupov and likely Mikhail Grigorenko.

Alex brings an exhilarating package of size, speed, high-end skill, vision, and is every NHL team’s dream come true. He is one of the most complete players in the draft, and boasts stellar work ethic. He suffered a torn ACL at the beginning of September, and was thought to have been out of commission for the entire season — however due to his tireless work ethic, and never-say-die attitude he is looking to make a return in the coming weeks.

A prospect with unparalleled work ethic is music to the ears of amateur scouts, as work ethic is absolutely crucial in a player’s development — Galchenyuk is among the best in the draft in this category. Galchenyuk has a wicked wrist shot that can make any netminder’s toes curl, along with high end speed, superb passing ability, vision, two-way ability, and does not shy away from the physical game. Alex also has a tireless attitude, and is a team-first type of guy.

Every attribute that Galchenyuk has oozes dominance, superstar and top-line center.

With all the glowing reports on Galchenyuk, he does not have many knocks against him. Many were concerned that his injury was a sign of things to come. After much evaluation, it is the belief of many scouts that his injury and durability is of little to no concern.

The fact that he will be shortly returning from what would be a season ending injury speaks volumes about his determination and dedication to recovery. Galchenyuk’s solid frame of 6’1″ and 185 lbs. is both impressive and desirable; however it is widely believed that he will need to develop more muscle to fill out his frame, and will likely develop into a 6’1″ 200 lbs. center.

While Galchenyuk has missed the majority of the season, it isn’t likely to deter teams from selecting him in the top 10 in this year’s draft. He has dominant superstar center written all over him, and is going to be  a key piece of the future to the team that drafts him.

He has often been compared to Marian Hossa, and some scouts have him as an Evgeni Malkin type, however it is much better to see Alex, as just himself. Teams won’t be drafting Evgeni Malkin, or Pavel Datsyuk; they will be drafting Alex Galchenyuk who will certainly make his own mark in the NHL.

Alex Galchenyuk is projected to go between picks three and 10 in this year’s NHL Entry Draft however most scouts feel he won’t fall out of the top five as his package is too good to pass up.

You can follow Alex on twitter: @AGally94