Japers’ Rink Player Card (click for a hi-res version, and a glossary of terms used in this post can be found here; data via NHL.com, war-on-ice.com, General Fanager and Stats.HockeyAnalysis.com):
Galiev’s Season, Game-by-Game (via HockeyViz, explained here):
Galiev’s HERO Chart (via Own the Puck):
Galiev and His Linemates:
Galiev’s 5v5 Teammates and Competition (via HockeyViz, explained here):
Galiev’s 5v5 Usage:
Galiev’s With-or-Without You (via HockeyViz, explained here):
Galiev’s Rolling Shot-Attempt (Corsi) -For Percentage:
Previous Rink Wraps: None
Key Stat: Galiev played only 29 games in 2015-16 — 24 in the NHL and 5 in the AHL on a conditioning stint.
Interesting Stat: Galiev ranked second among team forwards in individual shot attempts per 60 minutes at 5-on-5.
The Good: Galiev spent almost the entire year in the NHL and did alright in his limited ice time. He got shots on net (leading to two of his three assists). He has great speed and his puck skills are top-nine caliber. His possession numbers were decent, especially for a depth forward.
At his age, there may be some untapped upside yet. In 2013-14, Galiev wasn’t able to crack the Bears’ roster and spent most of the year in the ECHL. Yet in 2014-15, he became a top-liner for Hershey. It’s possible he simply develops later than other players.
The Bad: Galiev turned 24 this past season and has only played 26 games in the NHL. His performance has been passable-to-good for a 4th-liner — half-decent, but in very limited minutes — but his skillset does not fit this team’s bottom-six particularly well. He’s suited to play a fast, skilled game, when his linemates and coaches want a grittier game that’s overwhelming along the walls and in front of the net. To that end, Galiev only ranked 12th among team forwards in 5-on-5 high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes despite the 2nd-best shot rate and the weakest quality of competition (save Michael Latta). Galiev may not have the mindset and certainly doesn’t have the strength to succeed in those areas yet — and given his frame, he may not get there anytime soon (if at all).
It doesn’t help that he hasn’t been able to carve out a spot for himself on the second power play unit — he played the “Ovechkin spot” for Hershey, and even though the Capitals don’t have a big right shot after Ovechkin, Galiev hasn’t done much with his limited 5-on-4 looks.
He’s still a tweener — a star in the AHL but not good enough for a regular spot in the NHL.
The GIF/Video:
The Vote: Rate Galiev below on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best) based on his performance relative to his potential and your expectations for the season – if he had the best year you could have imagined him having, give him a 10; if he more or less played as you expected he would, give him a 5 or a 6; if he had the worst year you could have imagined him having, give him a 1.
The Discussion: Galiev is signed for one more year, after which he becomes an RFA. Is he worth the occasional roster trouble to keep around rather than risking losing him on waivers? Can he become an NHL lineup regular on this Caps team, and if so, what’s his ultimate upside? What would it take for you to give him a “10” next year?