Sven Andrighetto: A Stabilizing Presence

With Alexander Semin and Torrey Mitchell injured, Sven Andrighetto was recalled from AHL’s St John’s IceCaps. He has been playing on Alex Galchenyuk’s wing and is making a name for himself. Below I have looked at different scenarios as to why Lars Eller and Galchenyuk struggled earlier on this season and how the addition of Andrighetto has changed that. Is he the boost the 2nd line needs?

Did Semin help?

I think it is clear to say that we may not see Alexander Semin in a Canadiens’ jersey ever again. Aside from his lower-body injury that he suffered versus the Rangers, his play hasn’t met coach Michel Therrien’s expectations. Many wish for the 31-year old to be shipped out and with him going on waivers, it appears that is the case. Despite the constant negativity the mainstream pundits continue to spew in regards to Semin, I believe he is still a very skilled hockey player who does more good than bad. Sure, he isn’t the 40-goal scorer he used to be, but that doesn’t mean he can’t still produce and help out his fellow linemates. The 13th overall pick drives possession and makes an excellent first pass. His weakness however, is his speed. Since he was drafted, he was never considered to be an overly fast player. As we all know, Montreal is a very quick hockey team and play to that strength. Something head coach Michel Therrien often mentions in his pressers is how the team used their speed. Furthermore, their ability to be “first on puck” obviously occurs due to their rapidity. There have been numerous occasions this year where Semin was either benched or scratched. Therrien often mentioned that he doesn’t want to see a player “drag behind” and that they should be up in the play. So with that, Semin was scratched often and as I mentioned earlier, battled an injury until recently and has been placed on waivers.

Too Many 4th liners

With Semin scratched, the right side, especially on Galchenyuk’s line was a colossal joke. Players such as Devante Smith-Pelly, Brian Flynn, Paul Byron, Torrey Mitchell and Dale Weise all had numerous opportunities on the second line. I don’t have a problem with any of these players; it’s just that they are 3rd and 4th liners who wouldn’t bring anything skill wise that could match Lars Eller and Alex Galchenyuk. Moreover, constantly rotating the right flank with a young player such as Galchenyuk, who is learning and developing as a centre, will not aid in his development. With an unnecessary amount of bottom six players on Galchenyuk’s right side, it was only a matter of time before Therrien called them out for their lack of production. When asked about the production of left winger Lars Eller, Therrien responded by saying “It’s not only Lars; I am expecting more from the Galchenyuk line”. Sure, the second line at that time hadn’t been producing as much as it was expected to, but sticking some bottom six flankers with Galchenyuk only to criticize him for his lack of production is a set up to fail. Undermining a player’s confidence is something Therrien does quite often.

The Sven Factor

At this point, with limited production from the second line, compared to the first and third line, immediately rumors were spreading quickly about who Montreal should trade for to assist the Galchenyuk trio. During that time, I was among those who believed it was best to look within the organization before trading away an asset. With that, they called up speedy right-winger Sven Andrighetto. The 22-year old had an impressive start to the season in the AHL. Through 17 games with St John’s, Andrighetto tallied six goals, nine assists for a total of 15 points and a +6. This isn’t the first time that Andrighetto has played in La Belle Province; he was called up last year as well. He started higher in the line up and then played on the 4th line, managing three points in 12 games.

Although he has only played seven games thus far, the Zurich native has potted three goals (four if you include his shootout goal versus the Devils) as well as a plus +4 rating. He is currently sitting at an impressive shooting percentage of 25 % which is 10th in the league. Since his arrival in Montreal, he has been nothing short of remarkable. In their last seven games, Eller, Galchenyuk and Andrighetto have a total of 15 points. The Swiss native brings an element to the second line that wasn’t prominent earlier on in the season.

As left winger Lars Eller said, “ It’s just his compete level. Winning puck battles. Making plays. Playing the right way. He’s done the little things right. He’s at the right areas. He fights for loose pucks. He’s been doing all that from the start. He hasn’t been cheating or letting up on plays. That’s been the key to his success.”

Aside from his size, or lack thereof, it is no surprise that Sven Andrighetto has been playing well. Since the start of the season, I believed he would be the perfect fit for the second line seeing that he can do everything to chip in offensively. He is quick, plays in the dirty areas, is smart offensively and has very good vision. His play with Alex Galchenyuk and Lars Eller has generated a much needed boost to the trio. Furthermore, with Semin out of the line up, having Andrighetto with the team adds more depth.

Andrighetto is an exciting player to watch. The skill he brings to the second line is more of a reason for him to stay and not return to St. Johns. If he continues to impress, there is no reason he should be demoted again.

What are your thoughts on Sven Andrighetto? Let me know in the comment section below!

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