Washington Capitals: Galiev Could Be Trade Bait

The Capitals’ forward’s future seems to be in limbo due to depth and inconsistent play. Is Galiev destined to be trade bait?

The Washington Capitals had reason to be excited when they picked forward Stanislav Galiev with the 86th overall pick at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. A prolific scorer in the QMJHL, the Capitals believed that they could have found a mid-round gem. At the same time, many were skeptical that the now 24-year-old Russian could translate his success into the professional game.

After a handful of lackluster seasons spent shuttling between the East Coast Hockey League and the American Hockey League, Galiev had a renaissance last season with the Hershey Bears, where he scored 25 goals to go with 20 assists in 67 games. This kind of offensive output was what the Washington Capitals were hoping for when they drafted him, even if it took a little bit of time to get there. To cap off his best season as a pro, he scored his first NHL goal against the New York Rangers. It was looking like he might have a future in the NHL after all.

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However, four months into the 2015-16 season, Galiev has done next to nothing. He has appeared in 13 games for the Washington Capitals, recording two assists while occupying what has amounted to a fourth line checking role. Galiev is far from the prototypical fourth line checking winger, and that shows. It is unfortunate that Galiev hasn’t gotten a chance to play in a more appropriate role, but quite frankly his play hasn’t warranted it, and someone would be hard pressed to look at the current depth chart and put him anywhere but the fourth line. In fact, Michael Latta is likely much more suited to a spot in the lineup given the role that is available.

Galiev struggled to get a sweater even before the Capitals went out and signed free agent center Mike Richards. In the small sample size of two games, Richards has looked like a more than capable fourth liner and has even been slotted in on the Capitals’ fourth-ranked penalty kill at times. With Jay Beagle slotted to return sometime in February, that is yet another spot that will be taken in the bottom six.

Realistically, barring more injuries, it is hard to imagine Galiev getting on the ice at all moving forward. And if further injuries are to occur within the bottom six, has Galiev shown the Washington Capitals enough in his limited appearances that he is a better option than, perhaps, a player that general manager Brian MacLellan identifies on the market as a good penalty killer and better fit for the role? I’m not so sure about that.

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Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has now on several occasions stated that he believes that the Washington Capitals are “all-in” this season. He has gone no further than to mention names, such as Dustin Byfuglien, that Washington could be interested in moving forward. Though Galiev has not been able to crack the Capitals deep lineup, he still possesses a lot of skill and has upside. This could make him an intriguing trade asset in any deal that MacLellan identifies in the future. Especially in a deal where MacLellan doesn’t want to part with one of his top prospects, Galiev paired with an early round draft pick could be an interesting proposal for any team with Galiev on the radar. Of course, Washington does not have a great deal of cap space, so it is much more complex than that.

The Capitals also have a couple impressive right wing prospects in the system. Jakub Vrana and Riley Barber are names that Caps fans have had their eyes on for a couple years now, and as early as next year the two of them could be pushing for a roster spot.

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This is all obviously just speculation, but it is an interesting situation to watch. The Capitals will reap no benefit from having him sit in the press box for the rest of the year when there is potential left in him – that’s why he could be a much better fit on another team.

What do you guys think? Is Stan Galiev destined to be trade bait? Does he still have a future in D.C.? Let your opinion be heard.