What a wonderful chat I just had with Jack Han @JhanHky - asked him about Galchenyuk, and how much the Leafs can do, player development-wise, to improve his performance. Before our phone call, Jack had told me that "anyone can improve". I asked him if he could elaborate. 1/9

JH: "Anyone can improve - to what extent is where it varies. Galchenyuk skates like most Bantam players I’ve seen - his knee injury just put a spotlight on it. He used to be able to get away with it before, but now, his bad skating stands out. Using his inside edges 2/9

makes him lose the puck often as he plays it between his toes, and makes him a terrible forechecker as he can't change directions quickly. Rectifying his skating mechanics will be tough, as he's skated that way his whole life. It wasn't spotted by Habs' dev. team on time." 3/9

Me: Is there a notion then, in player development, of irreparable damage? Developmental errors too bad to correct?

JH: "Absolutely - there’s only so much you can fix when the issue is ingrained in the way someone plays. You can’t start fixing Zach Bogosians and Codi Cecis. 4/9

I’d even argue that most players have issues that are irreversible. Especially older players - Jason Spezza, Joe Thornton, these guys aren’t getting any faster."

Me: How do you come up with a game plan for a player like Galchenyuk to adjust his skating posture? 5/9

JH: "Tricking the mind, redirecting attention - you work on the strength while addressing the problem. Galch's one-timer is his strength - a drill where he picks up a puck, curls up, passes off & one-times keeps him motivated on the drill while secretly targeting the issue. 6/9

When I worked with the Marlies, Sam Gagner asked me what I saw he could improve - I mentioned his skating. He was always a skilled player, but did not utilize his outside edges properly. I advised him to practice Kane's one-timer, and focus on exaggerating the movement 7/9

to really get comfortable with his outside edge. Since Gagner is a good shooter, I knew he'd have no problem practicing a shot to improve his skating."

Me: So, do you like Galchenyuk's chances as a Leaf?

JH: "I think he'll be better than Vesey, that's for sure! 8/9

I don't think he'll be a proper top-9 scoring forward for them, but I think he can contribute to the team in a sheltered role.

**End**

Thanks so much for taking the time, Jack! Always a pleasure