As of Monday, Jan. 6, the New York Rangers have claimed 23-year-old Arthur Kaliyev off of waivers from the Los Angeles Kings amidst tough run of form.
#NYR claim Arthur Kaliyev off waivers from #LAKings.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) January 6, 2025
Kaliyev's Season At A Glance
Kaliyev has struggled so far with the LA Kings this season, fracturing his clavicle during training camp in September and only logging games in the AHL for the Ontario Reign. In five games with the Reign, Kaliyev has registered just two points (one goal, one assist). It would be unfair to make any judgements or assumptions about the rest of Kaliyev's season based only on an injury-plagued start to the year, so it may provide more insights to look at his past performances.
Kaliyev's NHL Career To Date
In 188 games played in the NHL, Kaliyev has recorded 35 goals and 36 assists for a total of 71 points. This pace puts Kaliyev at .37 points per game- not a stellar number, but enough to play in a bottom-six role and make a difference for the Rangers moving forward.
By far Kaliyev's best campaign came in the 2022/2023 season when the forward tallied 13 goals and 15 assists in just 56 games played for the Kings, resulting in a pace of half a point per game. The forward is more than capable of putting the puck in the net, having a shoot first mentality that the Rangers have lacked at times during their months-long struggle offensively.
Spoke to a friend in the league who's familiar with #NYR Arthur Kaliyev's game:
— Jonny Lazarus (@JLazzy23) January 6, 2025
"Shot first mentality, talk about a natural goal-scorer. He's got a sneaky high ceiling, two years ago, he was a half a point-per-game player with his minutes cut. That's a low-risk high-ceiling…
What Kaliyev Means For The Rangers
Kaliyev is the first waiver claim from the Blueshirts since they claimed Jake Leschyshyn on waivers in January of 2023. That move did not work out for the Rangers in the long-run, but there's no reason to believe the same fate awaits Kaliyev.
The move adds $825,000 to the Rangers current salary cap, leaving them just about $8 million in current cap space moving forward to sign new players. This number could of course change with trades or roster moves in the future, but that's where the financials stand as of now.
For a Rangers team that has struggled to score during their last 25 games, Kaliyev could help to bolster scoring further down the line-up, or offer an alternative if head coach Peter Laviolette wants to shake-up lines moving forward. For Kaliyev, the move offers another chance at playing at the highest level of hockey on the planet, and at the world's most famous arena.