Confirmed with Link: Leafs Sign D Rinat Valiev To ELC

[Jacquestrapless]

Oh cool. Are we starting the Valiev Hype train now?

Doughty's got nothing on this guy. srs

 

[TheGroceryStick]

Marlies should look decent on the backend next year, with the young guys having a year under them.

Percy-Granberg
Finn-Loov
Nillson-Valiev
MacWilliam

like the look

 

[Lil Tuzzi Bert]

Marlies should look decent on the backend next year, with the young guys having a year under them.

Percy-Granberg
Finn-Loov
Nillson-Valiev
MacWilliam

like the look

At least one of Percy or Granberg will be with the leafs maybe both.

 

[Maplebeasts]

At least one of Percy or Granberg will be with the leafs maybe both.

I don't understand why we think Granberg deserves a spot next season. He'll have to beat put at least Loov, and Percy, which I don't see happening. Heck I think Valiev has an outside chance of making the the team within two seasons.

 

[Number13]

At least one of Percy or Granberg will be with the leafs maybe both.

Maybe they deserve a spot, but who do they replace?

 

[SeaOfBlue]

At least one of Percy or Granberg will be with the leafs maybe both.

I think both...

Phaneuf-Robidas
Rielly-Polak
Percy-Granberg
MacWilliam

Loov-Nilsson (the new Percy-Granberg that will graduate sooner rather than later)
Finn-Valiev
AHL signing-Knodel (Knodel may be NHL ready soon also)
Everson (he's actually a solid defensive defenseman; he can definitely replace Marshall)

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Maybe they deserve a spot, but who do they replace?

Gardiner and Franson probably.

 

[Leafidelity]

MacWilliam simply isn't NHL calibre.

 

[Lil Tuzzi Bert]

Gardiner and Franson probably.

Heres hoping!

 

[BIitz]

3 points tonight and another good game from what I saw.

 

[ToneBone03]

He looks to be a promising prospect. Undrafted in his first year of eligibility but that can be attributed to joining the USHL partway through the 2012/13 season after leaving Russia. Was drafted by us after spending 55 games adjusting to North American ice in his first season in a superior league (WHL > USHL). Now in his second full season in the WHL he's putting up over a PPG through the first quarter of the season. Any Ice fans that can weigh in? Is his point production possibly due to being on the first PP unit with Reinhart (just a thought)?

 

[ldnk]

MacWilliam simply isn't NHL calibre.

He's Canadian though. Holzer has looked infinitely better and I would easily take him as the 6th/7th defenseman over MacWilliam.

 

[contour]

He's Canadian though. Holzer has looked infinitely better and I would easily take him as the 6th/7th defenseman over MacWilliam.

Off topic, but hearing Holzer speak, he has perfect english. Wouldn't even know he's from Germany.

 

[Joey Hoser]

He looks to be a promising prospect. Undrafted in his first year of eligibility but that can be attributed to joining the USHL partway through the 2012/13 season after leaving Russia. Was drafted by us after spending 55 games adjusting to North American ice in his first season in a superior league (WHL > USHL). Now in his second full season in the WHL he's putting up over a PPG through the first quarter of the season. Any Ice fans that can weigh in? Is his point production possibly due to being on the first PP unit with Reinhart (just a thought)?

Actually IIRC the reason he wasn't drafted was because at one point he was injured and went home to Russia, but this wasn't communicated properly, and people thought he just bailed and wasn't playing.

 

[johnny_rudeboy]

Actually IIRC the reason he wasn't drafted was because at one point he was injured and went home to Russia, but this wasn't communicated properly, and people thought he just bailed and wasn't playing.

Some times I just love the Russian factor

 

[ToneBone03]

Actually IIRC the reason he wasn't drafted was because at one point he was injured and went home to Russia, but this wasn't communicated properly, and people thought he just bailed and wasn't playing.

LOL well isn't that just great?!

 

[Finnleaf81]

Some times I just love the Russian factor

There shouldn't probably be that much Russian factor worries regarding Valiev. He's tatar and most tatars are just happy to get away from Russia, especially after what happened with Crim.

I'm quite excited about him, haven't see him play, but numbers and what i've read about him suggest that he's good prospect.

 

[zeke]

from the sounds of it the khl is collapsing anyways so being russian won't be much of an issue going forward.

 

[indigobuffalo]

Off topic, but hearing Holzer speak, he has perfect english. Wouldn't even know he's from Germany.

Isn't Germany a bilingual country English/German similarly to how Canada is English/French?

 

[Pholus]

Isn't Germany a bilingual country English/German similarly to how Canada is English/French?

It's pretty similar in that children in Germany are taught English in school, although much more extensively than French is taught (at least in Southern Ontario). It also helps that they learn how to have a conversation as opposed to how to write a letter (After 9 years of French class in grade school/high school I was pretty lost in a conversation after exchanging pleasantries and some small talk in French, whereas 2 years of conversation German classes in university was enough to be able to handle most conversations that weren't religious or political). All of my family members in Germany who are under 40 are able to converse in English to varying degrees (the younger they are the more proficient they are).

 

[Al14]

from the sounds of it the khl is collapsing anyways so being russian won't be much of an issue going forward.

Where did you here these sounds about the KHL collapsing?

If it's true, and the KHL goes under, we'd likely see a small reduction in NHL salary demands, hopefully.

 

[Joey Hoser]

If it's true, and the KHL goes under, we'd likely see a small reduction in NHL salary demands, hopefully.

I'm not sure how that would be the case with the salary cap and all. Toews and Kane were never KHL threats.

 

[Al14]

I'm not sure how that would be the case with the salary cap and all. Toews and Kane were never KHL threats.

More secondary players would become available, thus, more supply with less demand. Remember, I said a small reduction in NHL salary demands may result if the KHL goes under.

The elite players would still get paid!

 

[Lauro]

Isn't Germany a bilingual country English/German similarly to how Canada is English/French?

No, it isn't. But children are taught english at a very young age, even at the Kindergarten these days (5th grade when I was young... but 7th for me, as I was raised in East Germany and we began with Russian ).