On Friday the Montreal Canadiens made a 1 for 1 trade with the Arizona Coyotes giving up Alex Galchenyuk for Max Domi. In what is the first large trade of this off-season, many are left wondering, who won the Max Domi Alex Galchenyuk trade?
Domi for Galchenyuk, Who Won The Trade?
Montreal has a history of making bad 1 for 1 trades in recent years. In one of the busiest half hours in the NHL in years the Habs traded away P.K. Subban for Shea Weber from the Nashville Predators in 2016. Exactly one year before Galchenyuk was moved, Montreal shipped Mikhail Sergachev to The Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Jonathan Drouin. It’s pretty easy to say after Subban’s Stanley Cup Appearance, and Sergachev’s big year, Montreal has some bad luck in 1 for 1s. That hasn’t stopped them yet.
Alex Galchenyuk to Arizona
While you tend to feel bad about any player moving to a losing market like Arizona, in this case, he moved from a high-pressure disaster to a lower pressure disaster. Galchenyuk is coming off one of his better years with 19 Goals and 32 Assists (51 Points). Galchenyuk is 24 years old and has been a player perpetually on the cusp of reaching his full potential.
https://twitter.com/ArizonaCoyotes/status/1008004613390282754
However, Galchenyuk has had his fair share of off-ice controversies and allegations made against him. In 2016 was in the news for a domestic dispute issue. Usually, stories that start this way end in the male athlete abusing a female partner. Not this time. Alex’s Girlfriend was arrested after allegedly assaulting Alex in the early hours of the morning. Though you can’t pin this as Alex’s fault, we know that Montreal does not like controversy and wishes all their players to be robots. In 2017 former coach Mario Tremblay alleged that Alex had been to detox for drug addiction problems twice. Alex denied these allegations, but they made headlines none the less.
Galchenyuk will start in Arizona as a centre if all works out as planned. While playing a large part of last year in Montreal on the wing, he now has a chance to start at centre once again.
Max Domi to Montreal
While many older fans shudder at thought of the Montreal Canadien skating around with the name Domi on the back, many others are more curious about the given name, not the surname. Domi was traded as an RFA and has since signed a 2 year $6.3Mil deal. Max Domi is a year younger (23) than Alex Galchenyuk and also shows he has much more to give that hasn’t been given before. Domi only had 9 goals last year with 4 being empty net goals vs. Galchenyuk’s 19. Domi is only 6 points behind Galchenyuk with 45 last year.
Montreal is in need of a centreman and while shipping out Galchenyuk who can play centre has many fans confused. Domi can also play centre so problem solved. Unfortunately not, Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin has Domi envisioned to play on the wing. “We watched him (play centre with Arizona) last year but we know he’s a better winger,” Bergevin said and continued “In a jam, I guess he could help at centre but we don’t want to put him expecting as a centreman”
While on paper Domi seems like a less valuable player, Max, after all, is his father’s son and is a physical threat on the ice. Remeber he one punched Ryan Kesler?
Which Team Won the Trade?
Well right now its too early to tell. Both of these players needed a shakeup, they both have so much more potential than they have shown in their old clubs. Both players were first-round draft picks and both players average 0.61 PPG over their careers. While Galchenyuk seems to be a higher goal scorer, its safe to say that Domi has every potential to do that as well with a new club. Galchenyuk is only 2 years away from free agency and is making $4.9Mil a year until 2019/20. Domi is 4 years away from free agency and is making only $3.15Mil a year until 2019/20.
Last Word
While it may seem like Arizona won this deal, I wouldn’t be so sure. Its very reasonable that Galchenyuk could dip and Domi could rise. And it’s reasonable neither could happen. They both have high ceilings as players and we won’t know who won this trade for a while. I think at this moment, this was a good trade for everyone involved.
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