Neil Burkholder (NB): We would like to thank the City of Pittsburgh for the their hospitality this week, and we would like to congratulate the Columbus Blue Jackets on winning the Stanley Cup. Now most importantly we are proud to select from the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League, Center Alex Galchenyuk.
(Galchenyuk gets up from the stands and gets congratulated by his family and walks down to the stage. As he shakes Commissioner Mathias Vaigur’s hand, along with the Ottawa Senators brass as he puts on the Ottawa Senator’s jersey and takes his picture. As the TSN/NBC Sports broadcast heads over to the panel of Pierre McGuire, Bob McKenzie, and Gord Miller.)
Pierre McGuire (PM): That was a surprising pick for the Ottawa Senators, but boy did they just bolster their offense even more. Some could say they needed to go defense here, but this kid wont wow you with his skating but his puck skills are great, his vision is outstanding, and adding another big kid down the middle which you can never have enough of. This was a good pick for the Ottawa Senators, Bob.
Bob McKenzie (BM): This is a testament to the talents of Alex Galchenyuk, that he is able to be the third overall pick in a year which he suffered a knee injury that kept him out virtually the whole season, he did play two regular season games, and was able to come back and play the first round of the playoffs which was six games for the Sarnia Sting. He is a big strong guy that can skate, make plays and score goals, and a lot of people believe that he has the same if not more offensive upside than Nail Yakupov, reason why is because Alex is more multi-dimensional in term of his offensive ability.
PM: The biggest thing about this player is again that it takes the pressure away from Ryan Strome which was another top five pick in last year’s draft and the Senators picked up in a prior deal with the Leafs before the season. Along with Sam Gagner, and Marcus Johansson. The only way you can question this pick is the lack of top end depth on defense for the Ottawa Senators. I think this is a great pick for the Senators, I really do.
Gord Miller (GM): This is one of thinnest resumes for a high first round pick in a several years, the last that comes to mind was Brett Connolly a couple of years ago who played sixteen games.
BM: Well it is, but the Ottawa Senators they saw him as a dominate sixteen year old in the OHL, with 31 goals, 83 points as a rookie. Playing along side with Nail Yakupov in the 2010-2011 season with Sarnia Sting.
GM: You have to go back to 1990 with a top ten pick to play these few games in a season. As you mention Bob the upside for Galchenyuk is almost limitless. This is the first top five pick for the Ottawa Senators since 2008 when they took Nikita Filatov. So the Senators make their first pick in the Neil Burkholder era.
PM: Again Neil Burkholder, and Pierre Dorion and the entire staff deserve a lot of credit, Bob talked about the small sample size, but their not going to regret taking this player, they will not.
BM: Alex’s father, Alex senior is a big mentor for Alex. See when he played in Sarnia, Alex senior in the morning would take him and Nail Yakupov out in the morning and work out with them in the gym, and go out on the ice and do power skating every day except game days. Some of the Sarnia’s top brass thought it might be to much at first for Alex, because it could overwhelm him, but it didn’t. Alex wasn’t going to school it was all about developing his hockey and it has defiantly paid off.
GM: Here is Craig Button.
Craig Button: As you talk about Alex Galchenyuk guys, you are arguably the best sixteen year old in the world in the Ontario Hockey League with Sarnia, obviously his hard work has paid off, as he was able to get back into the lineup at end of the season. Pierre you talked about a elite talent. He is that, He is also able to produce on his own, and he makes everyone else around him better. That is a unique quality in a center iceman and when you talk about taking the pressure of Strome, Gagner, and Johansson. Alex can do that offensively. Do not over estimate that one second that the depth of this young man’s competitive spirit. Because he plays to do one thing, and that is to help the team win.
(The scene cuts to James Duthie along with General Manager Burkholder, and Alex Galchenyuk.)
James Duthie (JD): Alright guys right now we are here with Senators General Manager Neil Burkholder, and Alex Galchenyuk. This is Burkholder’s first pick with the Senators. Coming into the draft you had the ninth overall pick and you moved up to the Anaheim Ducks and paid a premium price for the pick by sending out the ninth overall pick, your second rounder this year, along with Tyson Barrie, Markus Granlund and Bill Arnold. A lot of people were saying they were moving up for a defenseman, instead you opted for the centerman why is that?
NB: Well we did pay a premium for this pick, really Alex was who we had our target on really since early May. We were just hoping he would be here. Alex has tremendous talent and once you add him into our core guys like Bobby Ryan, Devin Setoguchi, Marcus Johansson, Sam Gagner, and the list goes on, but we do have another center man in our system now in Ryan Strome, but when you have a shot to add a talent you got to do it.
JD: What is it that separated him from rest of the group?
NB: He is a big center man and skills that are unbelievable and kids like him don’t come around often because they go super high in the draft, or they’re unavailable they are rare. He is a high character guy, hard worker, and a super compete level which made it a no brainer for us. Our offense is going to be the big key to our future in Ottawa and this pick insure’s us were going to have a dynamic offense for years to come.
JD: One last question Neil before we go to Alex, Earlier this week you went out and word was you and the Los Angeles Kings came to agreement to acquire Marian Gaborik, it was denied because of his No Movement clause which ends in late August. Is that trade still on because we know you have the 17th, and 24th picks left in the first round which was involved. Is that deal still in the works?
NB: Yes it is, it’s a technicality. We are going to be making the picks but once August 31st happens where Marian’s no movement clause is up we’ll move who we take at seventeen and twenty-fourth picks. The league made a rule which was a good in theory, but it’s the offseason and the No Movement clause should be lifted. He played the whole season for the Kings and he should be ours going into the draft.
JD: Well Congratulations Alex how does it feel to be a Ottawa Senator?
Alex Galchenyuk (AG): It’s unbelievable, this whole experience has been unbelievable. Just being drafted and being able to wear a Senators jersey is unbelievable.
JD: When did you know you were going to be a Senator? I always am curious when you guys find out. You heard Neil say he has wanted you since May.
AG: I wasn’t for sure, but I did have a feeling. The team took me to dinner last week when I was in town going for the physical and the team meeting stuff and the interview went really good. So I thought if I was going to be there at three I had a feeling I would be going to Ottawa.
JD: Thank you Neil, and Alex good luck and I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of Alex wearing a Ottawa Senators jersey at number three overall.
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