New York Rangers injury update: Arthur Kaliyev done for season with upper-body issue
A season that started with a long-term stint on injured reserve with the Los Angeles Kings is now over for Arthur Kaliyev after another major injury with the New York Rangers.
The Rangers announced Tuesday that Kaliyev is done for the rest of this season — including the Stanley Cup Playoffs if they make it — with an upper-body injury. The 23-year-old forward has been on injured reserve and missed the past three games after he was hurt in a 2-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on March 11.
“Another young player that we’re moving in and out of the lineup and he’s done some good things for us,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette explained Tuesday. “He got back in the lineup and got a chance to make an impact and that happened. That’s really tough. You never want to see anybody go down. It’s tough.”
It is not known if Kaliyev’s latest injury is related to the fractured clavicle he sustained on the second day of training camp in September, when he was was still with the Kings. Kaliyev rehabbed that injury for nearly four months before he was claimed off waivers by the Rangers on Jan. 6. He did not play in a game with the Kings this season.
Kaliyev’s bad luck this season continued in Winnipeg last week. Playing his first game after being a healthy scratch for seven straight, Kaliyev was checked hard by rugged Jets defenseman Luke Schenn and didn’t return to the game. He flew home from the road trip and was placed on injured reserve.
In 14 games with the Rangers, Kaliyev had four points (three goals, one assist) this season.
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Injury sidelines Arthur Kaliyev rest of season for Rangers
Kaliyev spent part of his youth growing up on Staten Island and attending Rangers games at Madison Square Garden. So, he was thrilled when the Rangers picked him up off waivers after three so-so seasons with the Kings.
“I didn’t expect it obviously, but it’s kind of like a dream come true,” Kaliyev told reporters at the time. “We grew up watching (the Rangers) obviously living down here for a long time. I didn’t expect it but I’m really excited, and a little bit nervous, it was awesome … I used to come watch games here too, so it’s crazy — not much more words you can say.”
Kaliyev’s best game for the Rangers likely was Jan. 21, a 5-0 win against the Ottawa Senators. He scored his second goal with the Rangers in that one and had another goal overturned on video review because the Rangers were offside on the play.
Roughly a week later, he was a healthy scratch and Laviolette had this to say about him and his play.
“He’s a guy that’s coming from injury and coming to a new team,” Laviolette said. “I think there’s been times when he’s been good, he’s been productive. I think there’s room for growth, and then there’s things that he’s done well for us as well. He can shoot the puck, he scored some goals. He’s part of a group that had a pretty successful month. I wish it ended different, but I think there’s been some good things.”
Prior to coming to New York, Kaliyev, a 2019 second-round pick by the Kings, scored 14 goals in 2021-22 and 13 the following season, when he also had an NHL career-high 28 points.
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