Why the Rangers Should Claim Arthur Kaliyev From the Kings

The Los Angeles Kings have placed right winger Arthur Kaliyev on waivers, according to one the top hockey insiders in Chris Johnston. The New York Rangers should absolutely consider putting in a claim for him. 

It’s become increasingly obvious that this team is in serious need of a retool. The sooner they accept that, the sooner they can start trial-running a future for this team that can potentially be competitive again as early as next season, if not sooner. Retooling would surely include selling off some pieces, specifically Ryan Lindgren, Reilly Smith, and Jimmy Vesey. When that inevitably happens, they’re going to need guys capable of playing NHL minutes, ideally on cheap, short-term contracts.

Arthur Kaliyev is the perfect example of the type of player the Rangers should be looking to bring in: low risk, high reward pieces capable of being longer-term fixes or are just simply guys to help them get through the slog of the rest of this season. The Rangers aren’t magically going to trade everyone away and suddenly have a Miracle on Ice type of roster that’s a surefire Cup-contending type of team. It’s going to take a year, maybe even a few, to get to where they want to be.

So why is Kaliyev a guy that fits this narrative? 

A former 33rd overall pick – about as close as you can get to being a first rounder without officially being a first rounder – Kaliyev is a left-handed shot that plays the right side with a shoot first mentality. There are some question marks to his game away from the puck but his offensive strengths and goal scoring ability were among his most enticing qualities in his draft year and are traits the Rangers could definitely benefit from. He’s another example of a player whose development has been impacted by the COVID years and, more recently, by an injury and lack of ice time.  

Kaliyev only has five games on an AHL conditioning stint to show for this season after he suffered a broken clavicle in a scrimmage prior to the start of the season. That came as an unfortunate blow to the 23-year old’s plans for the season that almost didn’t even involve the Kings to begin with.

Kaliyev was at the forefront of trade rumors throughout the offseason, specifically during NHL Entry Draft weekend as a change of scenery felt like the right move for everyone. Nevertheless, he ended up signed a one-year deal, very close to what his qualifying offer would have been. After bouncing back from injury, he put up one goal and one assist in his five game conditioning stint in Ontario where he will report if he goes unclaimed. 

Needless to say, it doesn’t look like he has much of a future with the Kings. Across four seasons there, Kaliyev has put up decent numbers but continued to find himself an odd-man out in LA. His only near-full season campaign came in 2021-22 when he registered 27 points in 80 games played. The following season, he put up a career high 28 points in just 56 games and appeared in even fewer games the year after that. While that doesn’t necessarily bode well for him, it doesn’t mean he can’t thrive elsewhere. 

Claiming Kaliyev would only make sense if the Rangers plan to use him. With Chris Kreider missing this afternoon’s contest against the Chicago Blackhawks with an upper-body injury, maybe that’s where he slots in in the short-term. Otherwise, the Rangers would surely have to consider parting with Reilly Smith to recoup some assets and allow for someone like Kaliyev (or Brett Berard or Brennan Othmann) more of a defined role on this team. If you claim him and don’t move anyone else, you’re left with the fourth line being the only logical option for him, which for now could be fine, but longer term doesn’t make sense. Even in that case, his contract is up at the end of the year.

Regardless of what the Rangers do between now and March, you have to think that it’s in their best interest to go into the trade deadline as conservative sellers. If they ride hot in the spring and find themselves back in a playoff spot, great. But it’s not worth mortgaging the future to try and accomplish just that. If the Rangers are going to salvage their season, it isn’t happening on the shoulders of guys like Reilly Smith and Jimmy Vesey. Those are tradable assets that can not only get you some picks or prospects in return, but can open the door for a retool to finally take place.

Either way, Arthur Kaliyev would be a great card to have on hand for whatever the second half of the season has in store for the New York Rangers.