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Caps sign prospect Stanislav Galiev to entry-level deal

Saint John Sea Dogs v Mississauga St. Michael's Majors

MISSISSAUGA, CANADA - MAY 20: Stanislav Galiev #97 of the Saint John Sea Dogs skates against the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors in the opening game of the 2011 Mastercard Memorial Cup at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga, Canada. The Sea Dogs defeated the Majors 4-3. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)

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The Capitals added to their Russian foundation as they signed forward prospect Stanislav Galiev to a three-year entry-level contract worth an average of $550,000 per season. The 19-year-old Moscow native was a third round selection for the Caps (86th overall) in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft held in Los Angeles.

Galiev was widely considered one of the best players coming out of the QMJHL in 2010 and most people thought he’d be a first round pick. Luckily for the Caps, they saw the talented winger drop all the way down to the end of the 3rd round before they picked him up. His performance last season certainly rewarded their trust. In turn, the Capitals have rewarded him with his first pro contract in North America.

From the Capitals’ official release:

“The Washington Capitals have signed forward Stanislav Galiev to a three-year entry-level contract, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The 6’1”, 188-pound forward spent the 2010-11 season with Saint John of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) where he helped lead his team to the Memorial Cup championship. Galiev tallied a goal and two assists in four Memorial Cup games after helping Saint John win the QMJHL championship. He ranked fifth in the league in playoff points (27), third in assists (17) and tied for sixth in goals (10). During the regular season, Galiev set career highs in goals (37) and points (65) while adding 28 assists.”

Galiev played an important role on an absolutely stacked St. John Sea Dogs team that took home the Memorial Cup last season. He’s scored 125 points in his two seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, but he started to blossom last season with 37 goals in 64 games. Like most prospects, he’ll need to continue to work on his defensive game and physical conditioning before he’ll be able to contribute at the NHL level.

Odds are he’ll need another year or two to round out his game. But if he continues to progress like the Capitals organization expects, he’ll add yet another weapon to a team that already has loads of offensive firepower.