The first big trade of the 2018 off-season has dropped and to no surprise, the Arizona Coyotes are right in the middle of it. After making two minor deals on Thursday, Arizona GM John Chayka has made a much bigger trade, acquiring forward Alex Galchenyuk from the Montreal Canadiens. In return, Max Domi is headed to Montreal in a one-for-one swap. Both teams have confirmed the deal.
This trade is very much about both players getting a fresh start. Both Galchenyuk and Domi have been discussed as trade candidates this off-season and now they have been traded for one another. They are also similar in their struggles with both consistency and injury. Galchenyuk, the third overall pick in 2012, has shown flashes of brilliance but has yet to put it all together to reach his ceiling. Galchenyuk has 255 points in 418 NHL games, by no means a disappointing total, and even notched a 30-goal season in 2015-16. However, his scoring has been streaky and when he is not producing offense, his lack of a two-way defense game and difficulties at the face-off dot have become glaring. Under head coach Claude Julien, Galchenyuk struggled to find a defined role and lost play time as a result. On the other side of the deal is Domi, the 12th overall pick in 2013. After a breakout rookie campaign, Domi has been unable to produce at the same level the past two seasons. Altogether, he has 135 points in 222 games, but has failed to hit double-digit goals in each of the past two years and has also lost some of his two-way edge he displayed in year one. Like Galchenyuk, Domi’s issues at the dot and in playing a consistent well-rounded game had caused the Coyotes to question where he fit in their lineup.
The trade is even in many ways. The two players are almost identical in per-game scoring albeit Galchenyuk has done it over more seasons and clearly has a superior goal-scoring touch. Galchenyuk has a higher ceiling as an offensive producer but, while neither plays much of a physical game, Domi has shown a superior two-way ability and has been leaned on to play a bigger role in Arizona that Galchenyuk was ever asked of in Montreal. The deal is actually almost too similar, as both players get a much-need change, but both teams end up with the same type of player with positional questions and consistency issues. There is upside on both ends, but also bust potential for either acquisition. It is very much a gamble for both the Coyotes and Canadiens that their new player will somehow find their game in a way that the old player couldn’t. Both players are obviously talented, but need some work to reach their vast potential.
The only real significant difference in the deal could be a slight reprieve on the salary cap for Montreal. Galchenyuk is signed through 2019-20 at $4.9MM, while Domi is an impending restricted free agent who is unlikely to command that much given his recent struggles. While Galchenyuk will be an unrestricted free agent when his deal expires and could command market value, Domi is under team control for four more years. We will soon find out exactly how much the Canadiens value their new forward, as TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the team is already close on a new contract with Domi, indicating that this trade has been in the works for some time. LeBrun speculates that it will be a bridge deal; a reasonable assumption for a brand new player with some concerns to work through.
Wow!!! Good for both teams. Also, weird for both teams.
Chayka is the NHL equivalent of Jerry Dipoto of the Mariners.
Please explain… Coyotes terrible. Mariners good.
We will have to wait to see how this one works out but every deal has pretty much worked for Dipoto. Chayka has nothing to show. Stepan wasn’t that great Hjarlmarsson was not was he was in Chicago. Anntti Raanta was not the real deal what they thought.
Dee Gordon great deal. Segura great deal. Others just supplemental but have worked great as well. No moves Chayka has made have been good so far.
Because he makes a ton of trades I think is what he’s getting at
Dipoto makes a ton of trades, hence the nickname Trader Jerry (Danny Ainge also had the Trader Danny nickname for a few weeks).
well dipoto doesn’t have a good track record since he has been the gm the m’s have yet to reach the postseason and if i’m not mistaken only 1 winning season (don’t follow the al west my team is in the nl central) and dipoto has a track record of bad trades i.e. mike leake so i believe that the op is right on comparing the 2 gems cuz both gm’s have made a lot of bad moves
I’m just happy he hasn’t formed a bromance with another gm yet, like Dipoto and Tampa. Happy Domi won’t kill the Ducks all the time now, but I think Chucky has more upside. Arizona is starting to form a complete team.
I was saying that based off the number of trades.
Good call
Another bad deal for Canadians. This gm is the worst. He needs a center so gets a another winger. 3 big trades in 3 years and lost them all. Subban for Weber, serg for drouin and now gal for Domi. What a loser. Should have used gal in a bigger deal for ror
Can’t agree more. He wants to rid the team from all non-Canadians.
think you are WAY too high on Galchenyuk. Domi will have slightly less points but at 2 million less per season. opens up cap room to go after a statsny or bozak. Also gives them a bit more grit which the Canadians badly need
Isn’t Domi a center too? Or at least can play center? I know he primarily played winger this past year but I’m pretty sure he has some ability to play center.
But I agree, OP is overvaluing Galchenyuk a bit. I know he said as part of a bigger deal but I don’t see Galchenyuk being a significant piece of an O’Reilly deal. This deal pretty much sums up both his and Domi’s current value. Its enough to extract a young player with a high ceiling but both have yet to establish themselves as a top six forward in the league despite multiple seasons. Both have the young, promising but in need of a scenery change type of value.
Guys Domi has 36 career goals, gal has 30 goals in 1 season. Not overrated at all. Guy goes from #1 center to #4 winger, to 3rd line center, to 2nd line winger to healthy scratch while all of the entire Montreal media is killing him after he scores 30 goals. Domi has done nothing, he’s 2nd line winger with speed that’s it. Not saying gal the best player alive, just has way more value then Domi. Why not use gal in a bigger ror deal for an actual need. Mon gonna draft zadina another winger. How many non centers does a team need.
Also worth noting that of Domi’s nine goals last year, only five were scored with a goalie in net.
I’m sure of AG had way more value they would have got more. but he has 1 season of 30 goals, is an under 600 point player and has publicly complained about his role. teams aren’t breaking down the door for those guys at 3.9 million per season.
Drouin is ok. Not the best trade but theres still upside there. Weber for PK is such a lost cause
Arizona put galchenyuk at center let him play. two players who needed change.
Whose worst? Bergevin, Dorion, or Chirelli?
Has to be Chirelli. When Garth Snow gets the best of you in two trades, you have to be the worst GM.
Griffin Reinhart for the rights to draft Matt Barzal.
Eberle for Strome
dorion not close
bergevin is trying just has made some questionable moves. chiarelli just likes to play fantasy hockey too much but has produced a winner. dorion well his moves are questionable, his failure to address the Lee situation earlier or the karlsson harassment earlier and trade players at peak value has caused Ottawa to become a joke.
I don’t know Dorion has to run more of a circus but his actual moves aren’t near as bad as the other two