Arthur Kaliyev Claimed by Leafs' Conference Rival, per Elliotte Friedman

It was a bit of a surprise yesterday when the Los Angeles Kings placed forward Arthur Kaliyev on waivers, signaling an end for the young prospect who had been dealing with a serious injury suffered in the preseason.

While the move itself was surprising, what wasn't is that it didn't take long for Kaliyev to stay on waivers either. Many teams should have been jumping at the chance to get their hands on a 23-year old power forward with a great shot and playmaking ability.

One such team that decided to take a chance on Kaliyev are the struggling New York Rangers. NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman reported on X that the team had claimed him before the deadline.

So with Kaliyev off the board now, what does it mean for the Maple Leafs?

It would have been the perfect fit to add Kaliyev to the Maple Leafs. Not only would he have suited Craig Berube's system and offered another big body for him to utilize, but a cheap option with a lot of upside at only 23 years old.

He has a great shot from anywhere on the ice, and while his defensive metrics weren't great, who better than defensive-minded Berube and company to improve on it?

This season Kaliyev has not played since suffering a broken clavicle in the preseason and was just starting to get back into game shape. Last season he had 15 points in 51 games in a down year.

His previous two seasons before that he scored 27 goals and 28 assists in 136 games in a bottom-six role for the Kings who drafted him 33rd overall in 2019.

Toronto missing out yet again on adding a depth piece is starting to get worrisome for Brad Treliving.

Not only did he just miss out on adding the perfect third line center in Frank Vatrano (who re-signed with Anaheim) but he also now needs to contend with the fact that the 4 Nations Face-Off not only has roster implications, but a more urgent trade deadline.

Not to mention he just lost defenseman Jake McCabe at least a week, is without Anthony Stolarz another few weeks, and the third line suddenly going cold; time is ticking for something to happen.

Arthur Kaliyev could have easily added not only youth, potential, and a great scoring option, but would give Brad Treliving a little bit of relief as he tries to figure out who to add.

Perhaps he would have made a claim had the Rangers not done so first, but for now it's another case of 'What If?" for the Maple Leafs.