There’s no denying the individual potential that Alex Galchenyuk brings to the Coyotes' lineup, but Galchenyuk’s effect on the rest of the forwards has already proved just as impactful.
When Galchenyuk made his regular-season debut on Tuesday in Columbus, he centered the Coyotes’ top line alongside wingers Lawson Crouse and Clayton Keller. This allowed center Derek Stepan to play the middle on the second line between Brendan Perlini and Christian Fischer.
The result? A hat trick for Fischer, three assists for Stepan, and seven combined points between the three forwards in a 4-1 win over the Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena.