Edited Oct. 11, 2017 at 7:53 p.m.
Alex Galchenyuk is back on the 4th line at practice...AGAIN! While Chuky isn't helping his case, this is really highlighting how badly Habs management has been developing their high end prospects over the years.
Let's just go over MTL 1st round draft picks since 2009:
2009 - 18th overall, Louis Leblanc (Currently playing in the Swiss-A League)
2010 - 22nd overall, Jarred Tinordi (in the AHL for the Pittsbugh Penguins organization)
2011 - 17th overall, Nathan Beaulieu (Traded for a 3rd round pick to Buffalo)
2012 - 3rd overall, Alex Galchenyuk (Currently on Habs 4th line...)
2013 - 25th overall, Micheal McCarron (Currently in AHL Montreal affiliate, Laval Rockets)
2014 - 26th overall, Nikita Scherbak (Currently in AHL Montreal affiliate, Laval Rockets)
2015 - 26th overall, Noah Juulsen (Currently Injured, in AHL Montreal affiliate, Laval Rockets)
2016 - 9th overall, Mikhail Sergachev (Traded to Tampa Bay for J.Drouin)
2017 - 25th overall, Ryan Poehling (Currently in NCAA for St-Cloud State)
I think it's a bit early to pass any judgment on Juulsen and Poehling, and it's too early to tell how the Drouin-Sergachev deal is going.
But from 2009-2014 Mtl has essentially, for all intents and purposes, wasted it's 1st round picks. Someone needs to be held accountable, whether it's drafting or development issues, there has always been one specific person with their fingers with both. Trevor Timmins. and last year Marc Bergevin gave him a raise and a new contract along with his new title of assistant GM...
Now I don't want to completely bash Timmins, he does have a skill at finding hidden gems in the draft (Gallahger 147th overall, Hudon 122nd overall, Subban 43rd ovrerall, Mete 100th overall, and a few more). If he is not to blame for this mess than who is?
Going back to Galchenyuk, If Claude Julien wants to keep wasting him on the 4th line, just trade him. It will be better for him and the Habs. and letting him rot on the 4th line will only hurt his value more.
Here is a few ideas of trades I think could work:
Detroit: Chucky for Athanasiou + M.Green (Detroit save $1.1mil in cap and get the best player of the 3, MTL gets skilled center and offensive dmen to help out Weber an Mete (Cuz Petry has been terrible) and there isn't a big commitment to Green's salary ($6mil) since he's a UFA next year.
Vegas: Chucky for S.Theodore + J.Marchessault (Vegas gets the best of the 3 players and are in need for high end talent in their roster that they can keep developing, MTL gets a young NHL ready Dman that can play the left side, and a center/winger who can pitch in offensively and whose currently struggling in Vegas)