Observations:

February 2017 – Galiev is back playing impressive hockey for the Bears and being (again) one of their most dangerous forwards. He missed a large chunk of the season to start the year after being sent down, but has rebounded nicely and in 30 games has 23 points. Galiev sits eighth on the Bears in points but fifth in points per game, and has been fairly consistent all year only going two games without a point. There is NHL talent there, likely just in a middle six role, he just needs the opportunity to show it, and on the current iteration of the Capitals it likely will not happen. Galiev needs a new team to be an NHL player or a legit shot next season. Pat Quinn

July 2016 – Playing in just 24 games last season Galiev was stuck between fourth line minutes and the press box not really getting a chance to show what he could do on a consistent basis. Under a coach like Trotz a young player needs to produce and play well immediately and consistently (aside from first round draft picks) to be awarded more playing time, and unfortunately Galiev did not produce as desired. In a positive note he did have the second best shots per 60 minutes rate, second to Ovechkin of course, but it was admittedly in a small sample size. Galiev did talk after the NHL draft about how the lack of playing time was something that was on him for not showing enough, and to his credit he practiced hard and took the time in the press box to learn the game more. The Capitals will only have about two spots open for next season, and Trotz says Galiev will have an opportunity to show what he can do, but he will be in competition with the recently signed Connolly as well as other called up young players for the minutes he desires. With the Capitals' top six essentially locked up, minutes will be tough to come by and it is up to Galiev to sieze the opportunity. Pat Quinn 

Nov 2015 – Galiev has been used sparingly, to say the least, for the Capitals this season. He has only played two games and has not played a game since their third game. Galiev had one assist in the first game he played, but in typical Trotz fashion he only saw an average of nine minutes in the two games as the head coach is hesitant to trust young players. He will likely remain the thirteenth forward for the Caps as he requires waivers to get sent down. So do not expect much fantasy relevance out of him this season. Pat Quinn

Oct 2015 – Galiev looks to have made the Capitals roster as of now. He has not impressed during camp as the coaching staff would have hoped but they will give him a shot, although he may be a healthy scratch a few times, as a couple players remain on IR. Expect him to only get the depth minutes Trotz gives to rookies he does not trust if he does play, meaning do not expect much production until he is in a better role. Pat Quinn

Sept 2015 – Galiev is battling for a NHL spot this training camp and he is likely on the outside looking in, but he does have one thing going for him as he requires waivers to be sent down once the season starts. He will likely spend the majority of the year in the AHL and only get called up once injuries occur but then sending him back down will be the tough part. It is definitely a situation to monitor and could increase his chances of making the team, albeit in a limited depth role. Pat Quinn

July 2015 – Galiev signed a two year contract July 1 with the first year being two-way and the second year being a one-way deal, per Alex Prewitt of the Washington Post. Expect Galiev to be one of the first forward call-ups for the 2015-16 season if he does not make the roster. He is guaranteed to be on an NHL roster spot for 2016-17. Pat Quinn

May 2015 – Having his best pro season, capped off by scoring his first NHL goal, Galiev finally looked like the player he was meant to be coming out of the Saint John Sea Dogs. 45 points in 67 games may not seem like a lot, but there were lots of positives to take out of it, like leading the AHL in power play goals. The first 10 games of the season he was a healthy scratch and moved around the line up as the coach seemingly could not figure out what to do with his veteran lineup, but when Galiev was put on a scoring line he went on a run posting 40 points in 41 games. He faded in the final 15 games of the season, posting only three points, but there were rumours of him dealing with a nagging injury. That injury obviously caught up to Galiev as he only appeared in five of the Bears’ 10 playoffs games, posting just a single goal. Look for him to be up and down for the 2015-16 season between Washington and Hershey, or possibly used as a trade chip if other teams are interested. Pat Quinn

April 2015 – In the final year of his entry level deal Galiev finally broke through to plan an NHL game, and in his second game he scored his first goal. After his emergency recall stint was over he was reassigned to the AHL where the Bears will play the Worcester Sharks in the first round as the number two seed. Galiev finished the year first in the AHL in powerplay goals (15) and tied for first on Hershey with 25. He managed to leave an impression on Trotz in his final two games that should hopefully bode well for next season. At 23 Galiev still has the chance to be a good top six producer, he just needs to keep his momentum going. Pat Quinn

February 2015 – Since November 26 Galiev has 34 points in 36 games, including 19 goals, 12 of which were on the power play. He is not being scratched anymore like he was in the beginning of the season, and is shooting the puck more than he ever has, with 136 shots in 47 games. It is appearing as though he is finding his offensive potential as he is up to fourth on the team in scoring and only seven points behind team leader Tim Kennedy in six fewer games. Hopefully those that held onto hope still have him, if not it is time to go and pick him up. Pat Quinn

December 2014 – Finally seeing consistent playing time for the Hershey Bears, Galiev is finally starting to produce. He has not been hurt or scratched since November 16^th, and during that 14 game stretch (to date) he has 12 points, either of those goals. He is also averaging three shots per game during this stretch of play where is the coach is finally letting him play in the top six. Prior to November 16^th he would be scratched every couple games as the coach wanted him in the top six and had other players ahead of him, but Galiev has forced the coaches hand. More time is needed to see if he can keep producing but if you have an open spot in a deep league stash him. Pat Quinn

September 2014 – Sent down a few days before the Bears start training camp he is finally looking at a top six role albeit with Hershey. A shoulder injury kept him on the shelf for two months and he never really got much consistency going in the final games of 2013-14. He is entering the final year of his three-year contract so he needs to start producing in the AHL. Pat Quinn

July 2014 – After being the most productive he has been in the AHL (4 points in 8 games) Galiev injured his shoulder on December 21, 2013. He returned February 23 but was not very effective on a poor Hershey team. In the 8 games prior to his injury he had 15 shots, and once he returned he only had 7 shots in the remaining 8 games. The good news is he had become too good for the ECHL and was to be in the AHL for the rest of the season. He (at least) looks to be progressing in his development, which is positive, and should hopefully be able to complete an entire injury free season with Hershey in 2014-2015. Pat Quinn

December 2013 – Galiev started this season out once again for the Royals in the ECHL but has recently (finally) be called up to Hersehey (AHL). He had 13 points in 14 games for the Reading Royals and in three games for Hershey already has two points. Look for him to post some decent AHL numbers now that he has (hopefully) gotten himself together after spending a significant amount of time in the ECHL. Nathan Kanter

June 2013 – Galiev certainly did not have his first pro season go as planned, as he registered just one point in nine games with the Hershey Bears (AHL) before getting an early demotion to the Reading Royals (ECHL). By season's end, after spending time between the two, Galiev had proven his ability to produce, only it was in the wrong league. 47 points in 46 games would have been tremendous for Hershey, but unfortunately it came in the lower league, as Galiev posted just the lone point in 17 total games for the Bears. This is a small step backward for a player who is still quite raw and it looks as though he'll need at least a couple more years at the AHL level. With his skill, Galiev has the ability to post high goal and assist totals, and this year appears to indicate he needs the right linemates to make it happen. Nathan Kanter

October, 2012 – Now with Hershey (AHL), Galiev is clicking on a line with Ryan Stoa. He's playing an aggressive brand of hockey, which has seen (at least early on) high penalty minutes and a high shot total relative to the ice time given to him. He's looking as though he could make it in the NHL on a checking line, if his quest for a scoring-line role falls short. – Dobber

March, 2012- Galiev finished off last year by playing his best hockey of the season and helped lead his team to the Memorial Cup championship. He was poised to have a huge year but unfortunately injured his wrist and was out four months.  Since his return in February, he has put up seven goals in 10 games. He’s smooth with the puck and possesses above average shooting and passing skills.

Fantasy Outlook: B-

Galiev projects as a top six forward but will likely need some time to develop the defensive side of his game.

Footage:

Galiev scores amazing 360 goal in exhibition

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Great goal by Galiev:

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