Alex Galchenyuk signs oneyear deal with Avalanche
The Avalanche signed 2012 No. 3 overall draft pick Alex Galchenyuk to a one-year deal through the remainder of the 2022-23 season Monday.
After receiving a professional tryout from Colorado, Galchenyuk suffered a knee injury during training camp and returned to his home in Arizona to recover for several weeks. The forward rejoined the Avalanche’s AHL affiliate in early November and immediately made an impact, compiling seven points in seven games. His three goals for the Colorado Eagles included an overtime winner.
“He’s been doing a great job there, scoring,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “Impacted the game on the offensive side of things, which we could use a little bit of that right now. He’s an experienced guy. Can provide power play time.”
Bednar said he hasn’t seen enough of Galchenyuk yet to know whether Galchenyuk fits best as a center or wing. When asked if Galchenyuk is a top-six forward candidate in the lineup, Bednar said, “Yeah — I mean, however you want to structure or say what our top six is. Right now it’s (J.T.) Compher and (Andrew) Cogliano and (Logan) O’connor, and I’ll leave that line together.”
That trio has generally been Colorado’s third line. But with injuries piling up and Bednar happy with the Compher line’s forechecking production, its ice time has increased.
Galchenyuk will likely fit on the line currently centered by Alex Newhook, who had been playing left wing until Evan Rodrigues’ recent lower-body injury. Galchenyuk has long been reputed as a great scorer who struggles defensively and off the puck.
“He’s been working on it. So no different than, say, Newhook, or guys that we still work on through video mostly here,” Bednar said. “Making sure they’re on the right side of the puck, that they’re between their man and the net, defending them hard. That they’re getting physical and taking pucks from people. Our team’s really had to dig in in that area here recently, because we’re not getting a ton of scoring throughout our lineup.”
Galchenyuk spent the first six years of his career with the Montreal Canadiens, including a 30goal season in 2015-16. In the last four years, he has passed through Arizona, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Ottawa, Carolina (never appearing in an NHL game), Toronto and Arizona again. Prior to his arrival in Colorado’s organization, he had only played six AHL games in his career.
Galchenyuk said he got the call Sunday night and drove from Loveland to Denver on Monday morning. He participated in a full-team practice before the Avalanche flew to Winnipeg.
Avalanche injury updates ahead of week of travel
The banged-up Avs are inching closer to full strength. Defenseman Bo Byram and forward Darren Helm skated individually last week, and Bednar said Valeri Nichushkin is “supposed to hit the ice this week, too.”
None of the three will travel for the upcoming four-game road trip. Byram and Helm will work with skills coach Shawn Allard while the team is out of town.
Nichushkin is approaching the endpoint of the “approximately one month” timeline that Bednar estimated at the outset. Before undergoing ankle surgery, Nichushkin scored a teamleading seven goals in the Avalanche’s first seven games.
Kaut out, Foudy called up
Martin Kaut will also not make the trip. The winger is dealing with an illness. Anton Blidh and Jean-luc Foudy were Colorado’s call-ups. Foudy, the team’s 2020 third-round pick, is expected to make his NHL debut on the road.
The Newhook line will look completely different without Rodrigues and Kaut; Galchenyuk and Foudy are likely to be his linemates, making it Newhook’s first time playing alongside both of them at the NHL level. With Bednar designating the Compher line as Colorado’s second right now, the Newhook line will probably be third in Winnipeg.