Why Canadiens are making a big mistake by demoting Galchenyuk to 4th line

The Montreal Canadiens are not doing themselves any favors by relegating Alex Galchenyuk to the fourth line.

Marc Bergevin's club has stumbled to a record of 1-6-1, scoring an NHL-low 12 goals. At Claude Julien's disposal is an offensively-talented 23-year-old with a 30-goal season to his credit, but the head coach refuses to deploy Galchenyuk in a role befitting his skill set.

Back in the preseason, the general manager made it clear Galchenyuk, who was drafted third overall in 2012, would be playing wing "until further notice," and on Monday, the head coach dropped the forward to the fourth line, saying "I don't think Alex has given us enough to continue to be on our top line for the time being," per John Lu of TSN.

This all makes little sense for at least three reasons:

Galchenyuk not in position to succeed

To be clear, Galchenyuk is no exception to the team's early struggles. He's scored one goal in eight games on only 14 shots, and all of these numbers are obviously well below his career numbers.

Despite the poor start, Galchenyuk is averaging 0.26 goals and 0.33 assists per game, which works out to 21 goals and 27 assists for every 82 games played.

Galchenyuk is simply less likely to find his form in limited, fourth-line ice time. Being buried on the left side behind Paul Byron, Max Pacioretty, and Charles Hudon is not where Galchenyuk belongs, as it's at center where's he's succeeded most in recent history.

#Habs Galchenyuk
Since the start of 15-16:
Center: 84pts in 112 games (0.75)
Wing: 17pts in 39 games (0.43)
Hard to argue against this tweet https://t.co/VCk8tJ7NfT

- Milhouse40 (@HabsCrazyNumber) October 23, 2017

Galchenyuk is being sent out as part of the second power-play unit, a decidedly more appropriate assignment. But the opportunity to play top-six forward minutes is one that should also be afforded at even strength.

Trade value dropping

Let's assume for a moment the Canadiens resolve to trade Galchenyuk. They don't believe he can play center or even contribute at a level they expected out of him.

Why then lower his trade value by making it even harder to produce? In order to maximize a potential return, it'd be prudent to show potential suitors that Galchenyuk might be able to fill a need on their end, even if he's not seen as a fit in Montreal.

It's simple economics. If you're selling, create some demand.

Nothing to lose in light of brutal start

So whether it be to get the offense going or boost Galchenyuk's perceived attractiveness in trade talks, it behooves the Canadiens to play him with the team's other offensive talents.

There is literally nowhere else to go but up for both team and player, and now is not the time to make an example of Galchenyuk. Even if his defensive game is seen as needing work despite posting positive possession numbers at even strength over the past 295 games, trust that all the changes on the blue line and the failsafe of Carey Price can cover those deficiencies with a view to getting much-needed scoring.

Challenge the player to succeed rather than single him out for the team's overall failures, and, best case scenario, watch as the results follow or the phone starts ringing with increased regularity.

If none of the above comes to fruition, at least you put player and team in the best position to succeed.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)

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