Coyotes’ Alex Galchenyuk expected to miss regular season opener
Sep 25, 2018, 2:08 PM | Updated: 2:11 pm
Los Angeles Kings goalie Peter Budaj (31) makes a pad save on a shot by Arizona Coyotes center Alex Galchenyuk (17) during the second period of an NHL preseason hockey game Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
The debut of Arizona Coyotes center Alex Galchenyuk was put on hold Tuesday as the team announced on Twitter that he was not expected to be ready to play for the regular season opener against the Dallas Stars on Oct. 4.
Galchenyuk was listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury in the tweet.
The Coyotes first revealed Galchenyuk had an injury on Friday, Sept. 21, when the forward’s name was absent from training camp rosters distributed to the media during that day’s practices. Head coach Rick Tocchet said at the time the 24-year-old sustained a lower-body injury and would be re-evaluated the following week.
Galchenyuk came to Arizona after the team traded Max Domi for him in a one-for-one deal in the offseason.
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He figured to be an important part of the offense, given that he has scored 108 goals in 418 NHL games and lit the lamp 30 times in 2015-16.
In a preseason game at Gila River Arena on Sept. 18, the former third overall pick scored twice, once on the power play and once at even strength.
“Alex [Galchenyuk] had a gun – I mean that’s a high-level shot there,” head coach Rick Tocchet said after that game. “Getting pucks to the net, that’s something that we’ve got to get better at than last year, I thought we didn’t shoot the puck as much. Now that acquiring a couple guys that can shoot the puck, it’s really going to help our power play.”
His next chance to play would be the home opener against the Anaheim Ducks on Oct. 6.
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