Toronto Maple Leafs Star in Montreal: Former GM Marc Bergevin Reveals the player that was nearly drafted by the Canadiens
In recent weeks, Alex Galchenyuk's KHL journey has dominated the headlines, and not necessarily for the best reasons. This marks a significant shift in his career, coming just over a decade after he was selected as the third overall pick by the Montreal Canadiens.
Galchenyuk's Time in Montreal
Let's recall some of the highlights from Galchenyuk's time with the Habs:
- In his rookie season, he tallied an impressive 27 points in 48 games.
- The following year, he notched 31 points in 65 games.
- His third season saw him nearing 50 points, along with 20 goals.
- In the 2015-16 season, he achieved a remarkable 56 points, including 30 goals.
- He maintained a strong pace with 44 points in 61 games during the 2016-17 season.
- His final season with the Canadiens resulted in 51 points.
- The following year, he notched 31 points in 65 games.
- His third season saw him nearing 50 points, along with 20 goals.
- In the 2015-16 season, he achieved a remarkable 56 points, including 30 goals.
- He maintained a strong pace with 44 points in 61 games during the 2016-17 season.
- His final season with the Canadiens resulted in 51 points.
Clearly, Montreal witnessed some of Galchenyuk's finest NHL moments. It's unjust to brand him as a complete "bust," especially considering that he ranks fifth in scoring among his draft class.
New Information
Recently, journalist Mathias Brunet from La Presse uncovered an intriguing tidbit of information: Marc Bergevin, the Canadiens' general manager at the time, openly confessed that Galchenyuk wasn't his primary target in the 2012 draft.
"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
Bergevin's preference was for Morgan Rielly. Just imagine if Bergevin had followed his instincts and chosen Rielly instead.
Rielly, selected fifth overall that year, has since amassed an impressive 414 points in 719 career NHL games, including 41 points in 65 games in the last season, maintaining an average of 55 points per season. He also contributed significantly with nearly 70 points in the 2021-22 season.
While Rielly would have been a solid addition to the Canadiens, it's fair to say that things worked out quite well for the team. Galchenyuk eventually became Max Domi, who was subsequently traded for Josh Anderson. Anderson continues to be a valuable asset for the Canadiens to this day.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 4 | 211 ANSWERS Toronto Maple Leafs Star in Montreal: Former GM Marc Bergevin Reveals the player that was nearly drafted by the Canadiens Who's the best player from the 2012 draft class? | ||
| Andrei Vasilevskiy | 117 | 55.5 % |
| Connor Hellebuyck | 36 | 17.1 % |
| Filip Forsberg | 28 | 13.3 % |
| Morgan Reilly | 30 | 14.2 % |
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