Reports: Kings place forward Arthur Kaliyev on waivers

The Kings have placed forward Arthur Kaliyev on waivers, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The process for Kaliyev will play out over the next 24 hours, with his fate learned tomorrow morning at 11 AM Pacific.

The Kings needed to subtract a player from their active roster, with Kyle Burroughs set to return from his non-roster designation. Burroughs and his wife, Hayley, recently had their first child, which saw him miss yesterday’s game against Tampa Bay. He’ll be back this week, though, and that would make 24 players for 23 spots on the roster. The Kings made a decision today on Kaliyev, a decision that’s been needed for some time now, though we didn’t know ultimately what decision would be made.

If he is claimed, Kaliyev would remain in the NHL and report to the team that claimed him. That part of the equation is simple.

If he clears waivers, the Kings have three options. The Kings could do nothing, keeping Kaliyev on the NHL roster. They could assign Kaliyev to the AHL, with the Ontario Reign back in action next week on Wednesday. Or, they could trade Kaliyev, with his value perhaps higher considering the acquiring team could also assign him to the AHL in a 30-day window without needing to pass through waivers again. Similar situation happened in 2021, when the Kings waived forward Michael Amadio. Amadio cleared and then he was traded to Ottawa in exchange for defenseman Christian Wolanin, who had also cleared waivers.

Naturally, not the ending that I think anybody would have hoped for here. But it hasn’t worked with the Kings and Kailyev is behind several players on the depth chart right now, especially with an 11/7 alignment preferred on most nights, considering the success the Kings have had in doing so. Kaliyev isn’t a fourth-line player, at least in the way the Kings would like their fourth line to play, which is the way that most contending teams like their fourth line to play. Kaliyev is a higher risk, higher reward player and if there was the right opening in the top nine, that’s where Kaliyev could have made an impact. Jim Hiller has said countless times what he’s looking for on the fourth line is “even” play. He wants low risk players, simple players with a defense-first mindset. It’s why prospects like Samuel Helenius and Andre Lee have found success this season. It’s just a different type of player.

Personally, I could see Kaliyev being claimed, because it’s a relatively low-risk transaction. If it doesn’t work with another club, he could simply be re-waived. One-year term and a low salary-cap hit means that the majority of clubs could claim him if they want to take a flyer and there are certainly tools that could interest another team. If he isn’t claimed, the most likely option of the three above would be an assignment to the AHL, where Kaliyev could at least play regular games, which is important for a player who has only played five this season. Could he go down to the AHL, play games in a top six role with the Ontario Reign, be productive and perhaps come back, if the right opportunity presented itself? Perhaps. If it’s a fresh start, then wishing him all the best.

As noted above, we’ll learn Kaliyev’s ultimate fate tomorrow at 11 AM when waiver results come through. More to come then.