The New York Rangers are in the middle of a disastrous season. They traded captain Jacob Trouba and former second-overall pick Kaapo Kakko and are in second-to-last place in the Metropolitan Division. On Monday, they made their first addition of the season. The Rangers picked up forward Arthur Kaliyev from waivers from the Los Angeles Kings, per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Kaliyev has not played a game in the National Hockey League this season after suffering an injury in training camp. He spent two weeks on a rehab assignment in the American Hockey League before being placed on waivers. He is 23 years old with 35 goals in 188 games and was a second-round pick in 2019. Kaliyev will be a restricted free agent after this season, so the Rangers could keep him long-term.

The Rangers need young offensive players to spark their aging core. Very few of their players are living up to expectations, especially Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. While Kaliyev has not been a dominating player in the league, he can shake things up in a new role in New York.

Rangers coach Peter Laviolette should slot Kaliyev into a role that puts him on the ice a ton. There are not many great young players on this team either and he could be the missing piece of their prospect pipeline.

The Rangers beat out other teams for Arthur Kaliyev

Related NewsArticle continues below
New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (23) attempts a shot on goal in the first period against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Madison Square Garden.
Rangers’ Mike Sullivan buries Adam Fox rumors with ‘elite player’ take
New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan is introduced during a press conference at the MSG Training Center in Tarrytown, New York May 8, 2025.
Rangers coach Mike Sullivan drops Stanley Cup roster take
Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella against the Washington Capitals at Wells Fargo Center
Rangers rumors: John Tortorella speculation shot down after Mike Sullivan hiring
Los Angeles Kings right wing Arthur Kaliyev (34) shoots on goal against the Anaheim Ducks during the second period at Crypto.com Arena.
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The waiver system in the National Hockey League is rarely used for teams to add NHL-caliber players mid-season. But a player as young as Kaliyev drew interest from teams around the playoff bubble, especially in the weak Eastern Conference. The Ottawa Senators showed interest and that would have been a big addition to the club.

The NHL waiver order is determined by the inverse order of the standings by this point in the season. While the Rangers are near the bottom, they needed multiple teams to pass up on Kaliyev to land him. Those teams are the Seattle Kraken, New York Islanders, Nashville Predators, Buffalo Sabres, San Jose Sharks, and Chicago Blackhawks.

Just like any waiver claim, this is a low-risk, high-reward addition for the Rangers. Kaliyev could be the goal-scorer that the Kings thought they were drafting back in 2019. But if he continues to struggle, New York could put him back on waivers very quickly. But considering their place in the standings, he should get a long look at the pro level.