Prospect Update: Artyom Galimov

By Thomas Harrington

Anaheim’s fifth found pick from 2020, forward Artyom Galimov, completed his fourth season in the KHL, all of them with Ak Bars Kazan.

Galimov played in a career high 63 KHL games last season and scored seven goals and 13 points. He finished 11th on the team in goals and points, and fifth in games played. Galimov recorded the same number of goals as the previous season, but his point total fell from 22 to 13. Despite his down year offensively, one area where Galimov did excel was on the penalty kill; he was one of the team’s primary penalty killers throughout the season. He also played in 24 playoff games, scoring one goal and four points. Ak Bars Kazan made the Gagarin Cup Final but lost the championship in seven games.

I had two expectations for Galimov last summer, but he failed to hit either of them. For the first, I wanted him to finish at least third on the team in scoring. He had finished fourth on the team in scoring in the 2021-2022 season, and I was hoping he would hit the 30 point mark, which would have been tied for second on the team that year. Instead, he finished 11th on the team in scoring. Second, I wanted him to have a better start; in the 2021-2022 season, he only had one point in his first 10 games. Instead, he once again only had one assist in his first 10 games.

This year, Galimov will return to the KHL for his fifth season. His current contract with Ak Bars Kazan runs through the end of next year. I have three expectations for Galimov this season. First, to match what he did as a KHL rookie, where he recorded 23 points. Second, to help Ak Bars Kazan’s penalty kill improve from finishing 10th overall last year. Finally, I’d like to see him score a little more in the playoffs. His one goal was big, but I’d like to see him contribute a little more. Ak Bars Kazan got as close as you could without winning the title; maybe a little more from Galimov would help them get there.

With at least another year ahead of him in the KHL, Galimov won’t be in the NHL soon. However, given that he’s already 23, when he comes to North America there’s a chance he could immediately go to the NHL and bypass the AHL entirely, though I think it unlikely. I think the Ducks would like him to get some AHL action before calling him up to Anaheim. So there’s an outside chance we see him as early as the 2024-2025 season, but I think the following year is more likely if he comes to North America next summer.

Galimov is currently unsigned, and per capfriendly, Anaheim holds his NHL rights indefinitely. The NHL and KHL currently do not have a transfer agreement. As a result, 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 decide to leave the KHL next summer and come to North America, he’ll be signed to a standard entry-level contract.

The next prospect update will be on forward Sam Colangelo.

Related Articles:

Graduated Prospect: Mason McTavish

Prospect Update: Noah Warren

Prospect Update: Vyacheslav Buteyets

Prospect Update: Blake McLaughlin

Prospect Update: William Francis

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July 29th, 2023