The Rangers turned to the waiver wire to pad their lost forward depth.
Arthur Kaliyev was claimed by the Blueshirts on Monday, after the 23-year-old wing was waived by the organization that drafted him 33rd overall in 2019, the Los Angeles Kings.
It’s the first time Kaliyev is switching teams in his four-year NHL career, which began with a one-off appearance in February 2021.
Known to have a shoot-first mindset, Kaliyev is a young, moldable player who could benefit from a change of scenery and a bigger role.
After starting this season on injured reserve with a fractured clavicle he suffered during training camp, Kaliyev has been a healthy scratch for the Kings in their past four games.
Los Angeles needed to subtract a player from its active roster to make room for Kyle Burroughs.
His one-year, $825,000 contract makes him a low-risk pickup for the Rangers, who could use a player that looks to shoot as much as the 6-foot-2, 209-pound forward does.
Through 80 games in his first full NHL season in 2021-22, Kaliyev scored 14 goals and dished out 13 assists. He followed that up with a 13-goal and 15-assist campaign over 56 games the next season.
Last season was certainly a down year, in which he collected just seven goals and eight assists in 51 games.
Born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Kaliyev grew up in Staten Island.
Matt Rempe was assigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack on Monday to ensure the Rangers are roster compliant for Tuesday’s game against the Stars.
The 6-foot-8 ½ forward still has one game left to serve on his eight-game suspension, but Rempe is still eligible to play in the AHL.
