Kyle Garcia With training camp just around the corner, we are previewing each player on the LA Kings roster. Up next: Arthur Kaliyev!
Arthur Kaliyev
Birthdate: June 26, 2001
Birthplace: Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Height: 6’2
Weight: 209 lbs
Position: Wing
Shoots: Left
Draft: 2nd round, 33rd overall, 2019 NHL Entry Draft
2022-2023 season
After scoring 14 goals in his rookie campaign, the expectations were high for Kaliyev entering the season. Many Kings fans, including myself, were hoping he would get an opportunity in the top six. The sophomore season for the former second-round pick was up and down, at best. Kaliyev started the season in the bottom six and even got moved up to the top six for several games, but showed he wasn’t quite ready to make that jump. On December 20th, in a game against Anaheim, Kaliyev broke his foot after blocking a shot in the third period and missed over a month of action after being placed on injured-reserved shortly after.
Things didn’t get better for Kaliyev in the playoffs as he missed the final four games of the Kings’ six-game series against the Edmonton Oilers due to a benching and illness. Kaliyev’s benching came right after the Oilers’ third goal in game two, which was the game-winning goal, and never saw the ice again in the series. For the season, Kaliyev recorded 13 goals and 15 assists for 28 points in 56 games.
Arthur Kaliyev has the best wrist shot in the NHL.#GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/L6LT3nZM8c
— Russell Morgan (@NHLRussell) November 28, 2022
2023-2024 outlook
As training camp has already started for the Kings, Kaliyev has been skating with Kevin Fiala and Pierre-Luc Dubois. For the first time in his brief career, Kaliyev will get a look on a line with skilled players to start the year. One of the knocks on Kaliyev, when he got drafted, was his skating and it was noticeable in the first preseason game. Playing with Fiala, you need to be on your toes and ready because he plays fast and can do anything with the puck at any moment, and Kaliyev just didn’t look like he could keep up. I just don’t see how Kaliyev can keep up at that pace with his skating.
This is a huge year coming up for Kaliyev, a restricted free agent at the end of the year. Known as a goal-scorer, the 22-year-old winger has done that on the man advantage. Of his 28 career goals, 14 have come when the Kings have been on the power play. As for five-on-five, that has been a different story as he has been ineffective so far. Playing with Fiala and Dubois should have those numbers go up, however, if Kaliyev can’t keep pace with those two and struggles, then what? You have to wonder if McLellan will have a short leash on Kaliyev to start the year if he doesn’t produce at five-on-five.
Featured image credit: Josh Chadwick/Getty Images