The New York Rangers claimed winger Arthur Kaliyev off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings on Monday, giving the struggling team a low-cost, low-risk young player to fill the void left by trading Kaapo Kakko to Seattle last month.
Kaliyev, 23, has yet to play in the NHL this season after breaking a clavicle during training camp in September. The Kings put Kaliyev on waivers Sunday when they activated forwards Trevor Lewis and Trevor Moore off injured reserve.
The Kings posted, "Good luck in the Big Apple, Arty!" on social media after Rangers general manager Chris Drury announced the claim of Kaliyev, who completed a five-game conditioning stint with the American Hockey League's Ontario Reign from Dec. 15-27. To send Kaliyev to the AHL again, the Kings needed to expose him to waivers.
The Rangers were seventh in the waiver priority list nearly midway through a disappointing season that has included them losing 16 of their past 22 games to go from solidly in a playoff position to tied with the Islanders for last place in the Metropolitan Division.
Kaliyev, who was born in Uzbekistan and grew up in the U.S. after his family moved to Staten Island when he was 2 and Michigan when he was 13, makes just over the league-minimum salary at $825,000. He is a pending restricted free agent, and the Rangers have his rights for next season and beyond because of his age if they choose to retain him.
A second-round pick in 2019, Kaliyev has 35 goals and 36 assists for 71 points in 197 NHL regular-season and playoff games. He has experience on the power play and figures to play on New York's second, third or fourth line.
To make room for Kaliyev on the roster, enforcer Matt Rempe was sent back to Hartford of the AHL. Rempe still has one game left on his suspension for elbowing Dallas' Miro Heiskanen whenever he is back in the NHL after already serving the first seven.
