Bruce Bennett

Fantasy Summary

AHL defenseman.


Observations

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September 2021 – Valiev signed to play the 2021-2022 season for Ak Bars Kazan in the KHL. At 26 there may not be much hope for him making the NHL full time again. Pat Quinn

 

Oct 2018 – Valiev has been traded to the Calgary Flames. He has a very large hill to climb if he is ever going to be fantasy relevant for the Flames.  – Joel Henderson

 

March 2018 – With Victor Mete breaking a finger and being held out the remainder of the season, Rinat Valiev has been recalled by Montreal and will make his Canadiens debut March 6th in New Jersey. The 22-year-old defenseman will skate on the third pairing with Jordie Benn to commence his Habs career in what is really an audition for top-six consideration heading into next season. Valiev will be asked to play a simple game and isn’t expected to contribute on the scoresheet, so while an NHL career could be on the mend you needn’t jump all over him in fantasy hockey just yet. Mike Barrett

 

February 2018 – Rinat Valiev was acquired by the Montreal Canadiens along with Kerby Rychel and a 2018 second round pick in a trade for Thomas Plekanec. Valiev was once considered a top prospect in Toronto but has been surpassed on the depth chart as mentioned in the update below. This trade should give Valiev a larger role with the Montreal AHL farm team in Laval where he should be a top pairing defenseman. This has the potential to rejuvinate his career and fantasy value. Peter Harling

 

December 2017 – A steady defensive D that has slipped on the Leafs depth chart with the additions of Andreas Borgman, Calle Rosen from the SHL, the drafting of Liljegren and the development of Travis Dermott and Andrew Nielson. When the Leafs drafted him in the 3rd round of the 2014 draft I had thought they had selected a solid prospect that was sure to make the Leafs in a few years. Valiev had shown some decent offensive upside in his last year in Junior and had a decent 23 point first year with the Marlies, but he has regressed from that positive start. He has not provided much offensive upside in his last two seasons with Marlies. He has been a healthy scratch in a number of Marlies games this year as a result of the glut of D on the Marlies roster. In ten games so far this year Valiev has but one assist.  Valiev at 22-years-old is now in the last year of his ELC and third year with the Marlies, and he will not be waiver exempt next season. With the contract limitations the Leafs face, Valiev may not be offered a new contract.  Leafs might offer an AHL contract or decide to just let him go. He may be picked up by another team but that is a long shot. It is more likely that he will decide to head off to the KHL for a bigger paycheck. In any case Valiev’s fantasy value is now very limited. Brian Harling

 

January 2017 – The young defender is having a pretty good season as a top-4 in the AHL. He is logging more minutes and throwing his weight around much and he has added over 10 pounds of it. This new found rough side has led to a spike in PIMs, but we don’t expect him to produce them at his current pace going forward. He has not made as many high-risk plays, but is susceptible to making mistakes under pressure. Production has declined due to a less potent offense to work with. He is shooting at a higher rate and goals will come. He is the likely recall if minutes are needed in the NHL. Jason Banks

 

November 2015 – Valiev is having a strong year in the American Hockey League despite his lack of offensive production. Currently the concentration is on defensive responsibility and making the strong higher percentage plays. He is getting some power-play time and is also has the trust to be a regular for 3 on 3 overtime. The offense will come, when he is expected to fulfill that role, until then it’s all about waiting and experience. Not expecting him to be a longer term year AHL player before he reaches the Leafs, three years is the over/under. Jason Banks

 

February 2015 – The Russian native has had a big season both on the score sheet and with massive experience. Valiev has appeared in The Subway Super Series for a second time, was a core member of the Russian under-20 offering and is a key defender for the Kootenay Ice. His appearance in the World Juniors was rather uneventful despite playing large minutes for the motherland, but the opportunity and process is very welcomed for his development. Kootenay currently relies on him as the main offensive catalyst from the blueline and is just outside the top 20 in the WHL, but he would be fringing on the top five defensive scorers had he not spent so much time away from his team. He will be a welcomed addition to the pro ranks next season. He is becoming very intriguing name for the future of the Leafs organization and looks like a solid draft selection. Jason Banks

 

August 2014 – The Toronto Maple Leafs signed Rinat Valiev, their 3rd round selection of the 2014 NHL Draft, to a three-year entry level contract. Valiev is expected to return to Kootenay of the WHL for the 2014-15 season. Brendan Ross

 

July 2014 – Ventured overseas to compete with the Indiana Ice of the USHL for the 2012-13 season in hopes of becoming a draft target. Eventually, Kamloops drafted the Valiet with the 25th overall selection of the 2013 CHL Import Draft and the Russian made his WHL debut in 2013-14 scoring five times for 28 points in 55 games, finishing second in defensive team scoring. One year after being passed over in his first attempt at the NHL Draft, Valiev became a 3rd round selection of the Toronto Maple Leafs after the blue and white were impressed with his emerging offensive game that included nine points in 13 WHL post-season games. He is a rangy blueliner who owns a well-rounded game and an ability to adapt to a number of different roles. With his sizeable wingspan and strong skating abilities, Valiev displays good defensive pressure holding opponents to uncomfortable gaps. On the offensive side of the puck, increasing confidence in possession allows him to transition the puck up the ice with his feet or seeing-eye passes. He is a physical competitor who isn’t afraid to mix it up and shows a promising commitment to developing into an NHL professional. Brendan Ross

Attributes
Fantasy Upside 4.0
NHL Certainty 4.5
Country RUS
Position D
Roster Type Minors
Shoot/Glove Left
Date of Birth May 11, 1995
Height 6‘2”
Weight 216 lbs
Drafted 2014 Round 3; Overall: 68

Stats

 Season Team League GP G A TP PIM      Playoffs GP G A TP PIM 
 2009-2010 Team Volga Region U15Districts Cup U155 2 24 8|        
 2010-2011 Ak Bars Kazan U16Russia U16- - -- -|        
  Ak Bars Kazan U16Russia U16 Finals6 1 01 4|        
 2011-2012 Ak Bars Kazan U17Russia U17 Finals5 1 34 6|        
  Ak Bars Kazan U17Russia U17- - -- -|        
  Bars KazanMHL15 1 12 10|Playoffs1 1 01
  Irbis KazanMHL B26 2 68 38|Playoffs4 0 22
 2012-2013 Bars KazanMHL6 0 00 0|        
  Indiana IceUSHL36 6 713 43|        
  Russia U18Hlinka Gretzky Cup4 2 13 0|        
 2013-2014 Wenatchee Wild WHL55 5 2328 68|Playoffs13 1 89 16 
  Russian Selects U20Jr Super Series2 0 00 2|        
 2014-2015 Wenatchee Wild WHL52 9 3746 53|Playoffs7 3 25
  Toronto MarliesAHL2 0 00 0|        
  Russian Selects U20Jr Super Series2 0 00 2|        
  Russia U20WJC-207 0 33 6|        
  Russia U20 (all)International-Jr13 1 34 12|        
 2015-2016 Toronto Maple LeafsNHL10 0 00 0|        
  Toronto MarliesAHL60 4 1923 30|Playoffs12 0 00
 2016-2017 Toronto MarliesAHL47 3 1013 79|Playoffs9 0 11 10 
 2017-2018 Toronto MarliesAHL40 5 1015 26|        
  Montréal CanadiensNHL2 0 00 2|        
  Laval RocketAHL5 1 23 2|        
 2018-2019 Stockton HeatAHL57 4 1721 51|        
 2019-2020 Stockton HeatAHL49 2 810 28|        
 2020-2021 Did not play |        
 2021-2022 Ak Bars KazanKHL1 0 00 0|        
  Bars KazanVHL23 1 89 18|        
  Dinamo MinskKHL2 0 00 0|        
 2022-2023 Admiral VladivostokKHL18 0 22 4|        
 2023-2024 Neftyanik AlmetievskVHL4 0 00 4|        
  Humo TashkentKazakhstan12 1 23 8|        

Highlights