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And worse, I heard coach Claude Julien on draft weekend saying, yet again, that Galchenyuk has to improve his defensive game. It’s enough! He’s a goal-scorer and that’s what the Habs hired him to do. He scored 30 goals in this league one season and he’s on a team that simply can’t put pucks in the net.

So let him to what he does best. And he’ll eventually improve in his own zone. You know how he’ll do that? By playing centre. Give him the job. You don’t have No. 1 and No. 2 line centres. So make him the No. 1 centre and pair him with some guys who can handle the defensive responsibilities.

Photo by John Mahoney / Montreal Gazette

Last but not least, the biggest move of the week was the signing of Carey Price to an eight-year US$84-million contract extension. Price is one of the greatest goalies in hockey, but he has played ten seasons for the Canadiens and won precisely nothing. As I wrote above, the NHL is all about playoff success and he has never won anything beyond the second round. Please don’t start with the 2014 what-if scenario. They lost that series to the Rangers in ’14. That’s all we know.

We also know Henrik Lundqvist was better than Price in the 2017 rematch.

The reason I’m not thrilled with the Price deal is because with all that money wrapped up in him and Shea Weber for years to come, Montreal simply will not be able to go out and get a No. 1 centre even if one becomes available. You win the Cup with strength down the middle, not between the pipes.

You need a very good goalie and at least two excellent centremen.

So it’s the status quo at best and that isn’t good at all.

bkelly@postmedia.com

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