Prospect Update: Artyom Galimov
By Thomas Harrington
A fifth round pick from 2020, Artyom Galimov completed his third full season in the KHL this past year, and also played in one game in the VHL.
Galimov once again played for Ak Bars Kazan, and scored seven goals and 22 points in 47 games. He also played in six playoff games and scored one goal. He finished fourth in assists and points on Ak Bars. He also only missed one game all season and led his team in games played. In his lone VHL game, he scored a goal while playing for Bars Kazan. Galimov also played in three games internationally for Russia and scored two goals and three points.
I had a couple of expectations for Galimov from last summer, and he only met one of them. First, I wanted him to improve his offensive numbers. They did improve, but still fell short of his rookie year, when he scored 13 goals and 23 points in 55 games. However, he did beat his points-per-game from that season, so he did show overall offensive improvement. Second, I wanted him to be more consistent in his offensive production, but he didn’t quite hit this mark. I wanted fewer pointless streaks, but he had a season-high seven game pointless streak early in the season and only had an assist in his first 10 games of the season. But he also had stretches with points in six of seven games and four of five.
Galimov will be back in the KHL for the fourth straight season, and I have a couple of expectations for him. First, I want him to finish at least third on the team in scoring. Ak Bars is usually one of the better KHL teams, and he’s going to need a very good year to hit that mark. Last season, the second and third leading scorers for them had 30 points each. Second, I want him to have a much better start to the season. One point in 10 games isn’t enough from him. A better start could lead to him hitting that 30 point mark.
Because it’s unclear if, or even when, Galimov will come stateside, it’s hard to say how long it will be until we see him in the NHL. As of right now, he’s shown that he’s good enough to be an effective player in the AHL. If he could come in and dominate or even just play well with San Diego, he could be in the NHL sooner rather than later given his age. For now, he’s got another year in Russia. I’m hoping he’ll come to North America for the 2023-2024 season, but that remains to be seen. There have been issues with players and prospects coming to the NHL from Russia for years; just look at what Evgeni Malkin had to go through to get to Pittsburgh back in 2006. However, the current political climate has made it even more difficult for players to come to North America.
Galimov is currently unsigned, and per capfriendly, Anaheim holds his NHL rights indefinitely. Since the NHL and KHL do not have a transfer agreement, NHL rights for prospects chosen from that league do not expire as they do for players chosen in the CHL, NCAA, or other European leagues. If Galimov does want to come to North America, the Ducks will sign him to an entry-level deal, and he’ll probably start out in the AHL.
The next prospect update will be on Albin Sundsvik.
Related Articles:
Prospect Update: Trevor Janicke
Prospect Update: Jacob Perreault
Listen to our show by clicking below or visit us at Podomatic, Rumble, Spreaker, or YouTube.
Support us by becoming a DucksNPucks patron! Members can win game tickets, Ducks gear, and more!
Want to start your sports media career? Then Join The Puck Network!
DucksNPucks is part of The Puck Network, which covers the entire NHL. There are openings to cover your favorite team(s) and earn school credits! If you are interested, then apply by filling out the form here: Join Our Team. What are you waiting for? Start your sports media career TODAY!
September 24th, 2022