Rinat Valiev was one of the restricted free agents the Montreal Canadiens have on their payroll. The 23-year-old only say two games with the team before a lower-body injury forced him out of the lineup. After recovering, Valiev was sent back to the Laval Rocket as Brett Lernout was proving to be a better option at the time.
The common belief was that Valiev would be moving on from the Habs to play in the KHL next season. That was a little disappointing seeing as how he never really got a fair shake at an NHL gig in Montreal.