The New York Rangers have added winger Arthur Kaliyev from the Los Angeles Kings after he was placed on waivers, providing a cost-effective option to help cover the gap created by Kaapo Kakko’s recent trade to Seattle. This move arrives as the Rangers are looking for ways to improve their performance amidst a challenging season.

At just 23 years old, Kaliyev has not yet made an appearance in the NHL this year due to a clavicle injury sustained during training camp in September. The Kings waived him on Sunday after bringing forwards Trevor Lewis and Trevor Moore back from injured reserve. Following the announcement by Rangers general manager Chris Drury regarding the claim, the Kings expressed their well-wishes for Kaliyev’s future on social media, indicating their support for his transition to New York. Prior to his waiver placement, Kaliyev had completed a five-game conditioning assignment with the AHL’s Ontario Reign from December 15 to 27.

Currently, the Rangers find themselves in a precarious position, having fallen to seventh in the waiver priority amidst a disappointing stretch where they have lost 16 out of their last 22 games, resulting in their drop from a playoff spot to a tie with the Islanders for the bottom of the Metropolitan Division standings.

Kaliyev, who moved from Uzbekistan to the U.S. at the age of two and later relocated to Michigan as a teenager, carries a salary just above the league minimum, set at $825,000. As a pending restricted free agent, the Rangers will have the rights to Kaliyev for future seasons if they wish to keep him on their roster.

Originally selected in the second round of the 2019 NHL Draft, Kaliyev has accumulated 35 goals and 36 assists for a total of 71 points across 197 NHL regular-season and playoff games. His experience with power plays may allow him to integrate into the Rangers’ second, third, or fourth line effectively.

To accommodate Kaliyev’s addition to the team, enforcer Matt Rempe has been reassigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack in the AHL. Rempe still has one game remaining on his suspension for an elbowing incident involving Dallas’ Miro Heiskanen, which he must serve before returning to NHL play.