The Hockey Writers Daily - July 19, 2023
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In today’s edition we have the rise and fall of Alex Galchenyuk, Jets ready for bounce-back seasons, storylines for the Blackhawks’ season, Red Wings’ prospect Red Savage, 5 cool things about the Bruins’ Patrick Brown, and much more.
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Alex Galchenyuk’s Rise and Fall
Alex Galchenyuk was a standout player with the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), where he had 83 points in 68 games during his 2010-11 rookie season. Unfortunately, in his draft year, he had a severe knee injury and only played two regular season games for Sarnia, but he did manage to put up four points in six games in the OHL playoffs. His knee injury may have kept him from being drafted first overall in what was considered a weak draft class. However, the Montreal Canadiens drafted him third overall in 2012, and he played 48 games with them the following season, scoring 27 points as an 18-year-old.
Everything looked like it was going great for the young star, but rumours surfaced of varying types, and his attitude and play changed throughout his career. He ended up playing for seven different teams and, except for Montreal, none for more than one season. Here is a look at Galchenyuk’s career and what might have gone wrong.
3 Winnipeg Jets Bounce-Back Candidates for 2023-24
The Winnipeg Jets are going to be heavily scrutinized in 2023-24 as they’ll attempt to compete amidst a retool afoot after another disappointing early playoff exit and the departure of two key players (and possibly more departures before training camp.)
While some Jets will look to build off of strong 2022-23 campaigns, others will be looking to bounce back after rough ones. Three players in particular fall into that latter category.
Blackhawks: 5 Things to Look Forward to in 2023-24
We’re officially in the dog days of the hockey offseason, with the 2023 NHL Draft in the books, and most of the major free agency signings done. Summer development camps are completed, and training camps won’t get underway until late September.
The Chicago Blackhawks are in rebuilding mode, and their roster has seen incredible turnover in the last year. More big changes are likely on the horizon. Rebuilds can be quite frustrating and require patience. But if you look at it through the right lens, this can also be a very exciting time for a hockey club. So to get us through this slow time before the season begins, let’s look at five things to look forward to in the Blackhawks’ 2023-24 campaign.
Red Wings Prospect Spotlight: Red Savage
The Detroit Red Wings have a deep prospect pool made up of scorers, grinders, playmakers, offensive and defensive defensemen, and starting-caliber goaltenders. They really don’t have a huge weakness when it comes to youth, so it’s always exciting to follow the progress of the pipeline throughout the season. So in the spirit of that, I thought it would be great to shine a spotlight on a few of them as we continue through the dog days of the summer.
During this ongoing series, I will get you caught up on their hockey journey since being drafted/signed, what to expect during 2023-24, and their current place on the prospect depth chart. Finally, I will endeavor to project a ceiling and floor for them moving forward. So without further ado, let’s get started with 2021 fourth-round pick Red Savage.
5 Cool Things About the Bruins’ Patrick Brown
The Boston Bruins were busy recruiting free agents to come to town after producing the greatest statistical season in NHL history. However, most of their big-name free agents left to skate with other teams, leaving the team to fill some holes in the lineup.Â
After bringing fan favorite Milan Lucic home, the team also brought back Boston University alumni Kevin Shattenkirk. Then, they kept calling players back to the city, signing a former National Champion from Boston College, Patrick Brown.Â
Interestingly, Brown has found success at the college and minor hockey levels but has only played 138 games in the NHL after seven seasons. Additionally, he’s only scored 24 points but is currently minus-24, which are two numbers he should be able to improve on during the upcoming season in Boston.Â
Despite his limited exposure across the league, here are a few interesting things to know about his career and family, which will help fans welcome him back to Beantown.Â
NHL Rumors: Flames, Islanders, Bruins, Hurricanes
In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Calgary Flames are going to retire Miikka Kiprusoff’s jersey this coming season. Meanwhile, the trade rumor linking the Boston Bruins to the New York Islanders might have not been a rumor at all. Finally, things have quieted down in Carolina. Does that mean the Hurricanes have nothing on the go?
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
Edmonton Oilers - Evan Bouchard Stacks Up Very Well to 2018 Draft Class
Toronto Maple Leafs - News & Rumors: O’Reilly, Gio, Horvat, Domi & Engvall
From TSN - Laine: Babcock is 'hard but honest, so I respect that'
From Sportsnet - Flames to retire former goaltender Kiprusoff's No. 34 next season
From the NHL - Dineen talks Whalers memories, family mentality in Q&A with NHL.com
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