Mitch Gallo

Co-Host Campbell vs Gallo 10am-2pm on #tsn690 Mon-Fri. Hockey Operations Coordinator Selwyn House Hockey.

[Mitch Gallo @MitchyGallo]

Your character shows more in how you handle a win, than now you handle a loss.

[Mitch Gallo @MitchyGallo]

It's only preseason...

Kirby Dach is a veteran of 7 seasons and over 300 games in the NHL...

Does he deserve the benefit of the doubt?

@tsn690

[Mitch Gallo @MitchyGallo]

Does the pre season really matter for EVERYONE?

How does secure does a contract make you?

Will the Habs do the hard thing?

Or are there really no forward spots open?

[Mitch Gallo @MitchyGallo]

@GHT120 You're not wrong.

The list is already a long one LOL

[Mitch Gallo @MitchyGallo]

Something that honestly sucks is I truly enjoy discussing Habs and hockey with so many of you.

But it's starting to take up way too much time and there's just too many people who absolutely ruin it.

I'm going to keep posting my thoughts, but the interaction is going to have to be much more limited from now on.

[Mitch Gallo @MitchyGallo]

I know fans can get very tribal when it comes to prospects.

Everyone is always excited for the shiny new toy (which is great)

But this all feels so similar to when I said the Habs would be lucky if Mike McCarron turned into a Brian Boyle type player.

And people LOST THEIR MINDS over this "terrible take."

@seanrcampbell remembers.

Brian Boyle was a good player. McCarron has had a productive career and just signed a nice contract.

Morgan Frost is a 20 goal, 40 point guy. THAT'S GOOD.

I also think there's a difficulty separating floor, ceiling and likely outcome.

Looking forward to returning to work this weekend.

The banter on X with some is awesome, but others toxic.

[Mitch Gallo @MitchyGallo]

I admitted I was wrong in thinking that Hutson's first season would have up and downs and coming out of college at his size was going to be a challenge.

Many times.

I never said Struble was going to be better than Hutson though.

So cherry picking that tweet from a specific moment in time is rather unfair, I'd say.

[Mitch Gallo @MitchyGallo]

Or you can not take completely out of context?

It was a specific moment in camp before Hutson’s rookie season.

It doesn’t say “Struble will be better than Hutson.”

Literally the Habs thought Mesar and Beck were better than Hutson too at one point…

It’s crazy a) how dumb people are and b) how sensitive you all are over a prospect being a middle six instead of a top 6.

But let’s bully someone over a difference in opinion. Totally normal behaviour.

[William Leblanc @xwleblancx]

Anyone still taking this guy seriously?

[Mitch Gallo @MitchyGallo]

I disagree.

Struble had a solid rookie season and was more physically advanced.

I wasn’t the only one that was wondering how his first season would go at his size coming out of college playing his first full season.

It wasn’t saying Struble is more talented or skilled than Hutson….

Hutson adapted quickly and he didn’t wear down in his first year. I wasn’t wrong about that.

But I don’t think the team thought he’d adapt that quickly either.

[Mitch Gallo @MitchyGallo]

Great Q

Hard to say!

I would say Hage is much more a slam dunk, more likely to play in the NHL for a long time player.

Zharovsky is more talented offensively and has the higher offensive ceiling...

Zharovsky is a more exciting prospect.

Hage is a safe bet prospect.

Nice to have both. If I had to pick one, I probably lean Hage because he's more versatile and can play multiple positions and up and down the lineup.

Zharovsky would need to be in an offensive role to be useful.

Love both though.

[CC @iamccards]

@MitchyGallo Hage or Zharovsky? pick 1 to keep

[Mitch Gallo @MitchyGallo]

His offensive instincts are the thing that can't be taught.

It's not that his IQ is bad, it's that he wants to do too much.

And I've seen MANY player adapt and learn the risk / reward.

In fact, teaching this element might be one of St Louis greatest attributes!

Others never learn..

[Mitch Gallo @MitchyGallo]

Here's another breakdown because I've been asked in comparison to my Hage report.

ALEX ZHAROVSKY

Projection: Top-six upside. I can see second-line, 60-point potential with room for more.

OVERALL

Zharovsky is a highly skilled offensive prospect with elite instincts, high-end elusiveness and a natural feel for where offence is going to develop.

He consistently finds soft ice, drifts in and out of coverage without drawing attention and makes himself available in dangerous areas.

He’s still very raw. There’s a lot of freelancing in his game and he tries to force difficult plays more often than he needs to.

The upside is significant because most of what he needs to clean up is decision-making and habits. The skill itself is much harder to teach.

SKATING

He gets around the ice effortlessly, but that shouldn’t be confused with high-end straight-line speed.

His movement is built around elite edgework, elusiveness and an ability to change direction and pace without losing control of the puck.

There were multiple examples of him spinning away from traffic, cutting off pressure and changing gears to make defenders miss.

He’s extremely deceptive in his movement and difficult to contain when he can work laterally or manipulate pace.

His pace changes are especially effective on zone entries. He knows when to slow a defender down and when to attack the space that opens up.

The limitation comes when the game becomes more north-south. His pure acceleration and straight-line speed were below average in the games I watched.

His skating effectiveness comes much more from how he moves than how fast he moves.

PUCK SKILLS / PLAYMAKING

Very quick hands and comfortable carrying the puck through pressure.

He wants the puck, and there were already situations where teammates clearly deferred to him to create the next play.

His offensive vision and anticipation are good. He recognizes openings early and can create passing lanes with his feet and body position.

He also has a willingness to attack the middle and get into the slot.

The combination of hands, deception, pace manipulation and offensive instinct gives him a chance to become a true creator.

SHOOTING

Above-average shot with a strong release.

He can beat goalies from distance and doesn’t need much time to get the puck off.

He has legitimate dual-threat ability as both a scorer and passer.

OFFENSIVE HABITS

His offensive instincts are elite.

He has a very good feel for finding space away from the puck and can disappear from coverage before arriving in a dangerous area.

He plays a freelance style and is comfortable leaving structure to create offence.

That creativity is part of what makes him dangerous, but it may need to be reined in at the NHL level depending on deployment and linemates.

DECISION MAKING

This was the biggest issue in the games I watched.

He gets too cute with the puck and tries to do too much, often several times per game.

One example came high in the offensive zone when he tried to saucer a pass over a forechecker’s stick. It was knocked down and immediately went the other way.

On another breakout, he tried to beat F1 clean and was stripped despite having two simpler outlets available.

The creativity shouldn’t be taken out of his game, but he needs to learn when the high-skill play is there and when the simple play is the right one.

OFF-PUCK GAME

This is the area that needs the most development before he’s NHL-ready.

His offensive anticipation is advanced, but his overall game away from the puck is still raw, particularly in his own zone.

He doesn’t need to become an elite defensive forward, but he does need to become reliable enough within structure that coaches can trust him without the puck.

STRENGTHS

- Elite offensive instincts
- Elite edgework and elusiveness
- Deceptive lateral movement
- Excellent pace manipulation
- Strong zone-entry ability
- Quick hands
- Finds soft spots in coverage
- Willingness to attack the middle
- Above-average shot
- Dual-threat scorer/passer

AREAS TO IMPROVE
• Simplify his game more often
• Stop forcing difficult plays when easier options are available
• Become more reliable away from the puck
• Improve defensive-zone habits
• Learn to play within more structure
• Improve risk management without losing creativity
• Straight-line acceleration and top-end speed

NHL PROJECTION
Legitimate top-six upside.

If he develops enough away from the puck and learns to manage risk with the puck, I can see a second-line player capable of around 60 points, with the possibility of more if everything comes together.

He’s nowhere near a finished product, but the foundation is exciting because his best attributes — instincts, edgework, deception, hands and creativity — are the parts of a player’s game that are hardest to teach.

FINAL THOUGHT

There will be mistakes and there’s a lot of work to do before he’s NHL-ready.

The appeal is simple: most of what he needs to improve can be taught.

His skill set can’t.

@tsn690

[Mitch Gallo @MitchyGallo]

@HabsTalk1909 No, go to the comments of that post. Or any other tweet. That’s what you’re missing.

[Mitch Gallo @MitchyGallo]

@GreeceRevival There you have it. Point proven.

[Mitch Gallo @MitchyGallo]

@HabsTalk1909 I’ve never been opposed to critique.

[Mitch Gallo @MitchyGallo]

@JoGoesToMovies Healthy banter and debate is fine.

Being a jerk isn’t.

[Mitch Gallo @MitchyGallo]

@sunset_inspired Buzz off and good riddance.

[Mitch Gallo @MitchyGallo]

Struble had played a full season and was physically mature.

Hutson was coming out of college and many were questioning the grind of an NHL for a player his size. So wrong again on both fronts.

Last I engage with you because rather than simply disagreeing you’re rude and obnoxious.

[Mitch Gallo @MitchyGallo]

@JonahLew 15 spread out over this season and last.

[Mitch Gallo @MitchyGallo]

Struble had already had a full season under his belt, a solid rookie year. And physical he was very mature.

I thought Hutson would take time to adapt to the NHL (I was wrong. He did it quicker than management even thought he would)

But to cherry pick the tweet, take it out of context and just bully me it’s what sucks about social media and a lot of fans.