Rinat Valiev was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2014, in the third round at 68th overall. He was acquired just before the 2018 trade deadline by the Montreal Canadiens, in the package that sent lifetime Habs player Tomas Plekanec and AHLer Kyle Baun to the Leafs in exchange for the defenceman, a 2018 second-round pick (which became Jacob Olofsson), and Kerby Rychel.
This is therefore his first entry in the Top 25 Under 25 for the Habs. While playing for the Leafs organization, he was first ranked on sister site Pension Plan Puppets’ list in 2016, debuting at 21st.