Thursday night’s game against the New Jersey Devils wasn’t just Arthur Kaliyev’s first game with the New York Rangers.
It also marked Kaliyev’s first NHL game since April 3.
The 23-year-old forward was scratched for large parts of last season by the Los Angeles Kings and he suffered a broken collarbone during training camp this year, which prevented him from playing for multiple weeks.
He failed to make the Kings’ lineup following his recovery before he was ultimately placed on waivers by the team.
The Rangers quickly claimed him off waivers, giving Kaliyev a second chance and a much-needed fresh start.
In his first game, the right winger recorded 8:31 minutes while playing on a line with Jonny Brodzinski and Brett Berard.
Despite not making any flashy plays or scoring any points, for a player that hasn’t played in the NHL for months, it was a solid start.
“It’s good to get him in there,” Peter Laviolette said. “Kaliyev’s been out for a long time with an injury, so I think it’s going to take a minute for him to get up to speed. He can skate, he can move the puck and it was a good day one for him and I’m sure he’ll look to build on that.”
Kaliyev should only continue to get better as he plays more as he’s shown his potential in the past.
