Today we meet two guys who, short of injuries or training camp surprises, are probably headed to Cleveland to play for the AHL’s Lake Erie Monsters.
Alex Broadhurst
Broadhurst was one of the pieces in the Brandon Saad trade, and his scouting report reads like dozens of other guys in the AHL: “undersized but talented.” Depending on whom you want to believe, Broadhurst comes in at about 5-11, 188. Not “tiny,” exactly, but still undersized even for a centerman in today’s NHL.
So far in his brief career, Broadhurst has shown that he’s willing and able to kill penalties, among other things, which may eventually be his ticket to the NHL. In fact – and here’s a fun bit of trivia for you – he once scored a shorthanded hat trick in a United States Hockey League playoff game while skating for the Green Bay Gamblers. This is some admittedly low-quality video of the feat.
While he undoubtedly has some offensive talent, the question is whether he’ll be able to find the time and space at the NHL level to show off that talent. If he’s able to establish himself as a solid two-way presence in Cleveland, we may eventually see him get the call to Columbus as a lower-line fill-in.
Broadhurst is coming off a season in which he played just 29 games for the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs after suffering a broken left arm, so it’s a safe bet he’s entering camp feeling he has something to prove.
Particulars:
Age: 22
Hometown: Orland Park, Illinois
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 188lbs
Shoots: Left
Draft status: 2011 Seventh Rounder (199th, Blackhawks)
Cap hit: $643,333 (NHL)
Brett Gallant
So…Brett Gallant. He fights. That’s what he does, he fights. And he fights well most of the time. He has been considered a Top 5 AHL heavyweight the last several seasons while skating for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, and now he’ll be filling the enforcer role for the Monsters.
Lake Erie fans have been relatively spoiled in recent years by having excellent (Patrick Bordeleau) and very good (Daniel Maggio) AHL fighters on their roster. They will love Gallant, and depending on how quickly he’s able to find his first dance partner this season, they will probably love him right away. You will see “Gallant #44” jerseys in Cleveland by the end of November, no doubt.
Gallant isn’t the biggest guy (6 feet, about 195 pounds) but he will go with absolutely anyone. The left winger doesn’t win every time, but he most definitely shows up every time. Two examples:
Gallant vs. Joel Rechlicz of the Hershey Bears in 2013
Gallant vs. Matt Kassian of the Ottawa Senators during a brief NHL call-up in 2014 (not that Kassian is the second coming of Dave Schultz, but hey, a one-punch knockout is a one-punch knockout)
While he once tallied 73 points in a season in the Maritime Junior A League, the fact is that Gallant has all of 6 goals and 6 assists in 188 career AHL games. He has a role and he knows what it is, and by all accounts he’s an excellent teammate. Will he have a shot to crack the roster in Columbus? Maybe, eventually. He’ll need to improve his defense to get that shot, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Jackets management give him a look when the time is right.
Particulars:
Age: 26
Hometown: Summerside, PEI
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 185lbs
Shoots: Left
Draft status: Undrafted
Cap hit: $750,000 (NHL)