With the Los Angeles Kings expected to move on from Arthur Kaliyev, many teams will likely be inquiring about the former top prospect. He is a left-handed shot, possesses a sneaky wrister, and is going to be just 23 years old at the start of next season. His story is far from written, so where is his next chapter most likely to take place?
New York Islanders
The first landing spot for Kaliyev is the New York Islanders. They lack left-handed shots, scoring talent, and youth, and he would fit each of those holes. He is also not going to be very expensive to acquire since he is coming off a seven-goal, 15-point campaign in 51 games this past season. He checks all the boxes for the Islanders, and a trade makes perfect sense for the Kings, too.
Los Angeles is no stranger to acquiring former top prospects, most notably in 2020 trading a second-round pick for New York Rangers’ 2017 seventh-overall pick, Lias Andersson. The trade did not work out for the Kings, as he played just 44 NHL games across three seasons for the team before joining the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League (AHL) this past season. He was a failed experiment for many reasons, one of which was a lack of opportunity in Los Angeles. However, this would not be the case with Oliver Wahlstrom.
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Wahlstrom is just 23 years old and a former first-round pick. While a move to bring him in may not appear to make sense for Los Angeles, it is a perfect fit. He plays right wing, a positional need for the Kings, and knows how to play a physical game. He is 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, and possesses a lethal shot. He may amount to nothing, but a swap of the two former top prospects makes sense for both sides.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Kings have a lengthy trade history. From the Jack Campbell acquisition to the Jake Muzzin blockbuster, there is familiarity between the two front offices. Now, they could connect in a deal to help both sides.
Kaliyev would be a fresh face in the bottom six, providing upside in an area that struggled at times last season. The Kings also could have an interest in defenseman Conor Timmins. With the right side of the Kings’ defense undecided for next season, there will be a need to add another NHL-caliber defenseman.
Brandt Clarke is expected to make the jump to a full-time NHL defenseman next season, but the Kings should have some insurance in case he is not ready. Timmins would be able to slot in for favorable matchups or back-to-backs and fill in for any injuries to the defense. He is not the flashiest option, but he would be a valuable addition since he makes just $1.1 million.
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens have a history of going after former top prospects, most recently acquiring Alex Newhook and Kirby Dach in trades involving first-round picks. The team is unlikely to move another first-round pick for a reclamation project but could look to send a mid-round draft pick for Kaliyev.
With much of the forward core unknown for next season, bringing in Kaliyev would strengthen the depth and add a high-upside forward for a low price. The Canadiens have an abundance of NHL-caliber prospects and do not need to add another prospect in the third or fourth round of the draft. They could send one of their five third-round picks over the next two drafts to Los Angeles to bring in Kaliyev, taking a chance on a high-upside winger. If it works out, they get a strong middle-six scorer for seasons to come. If not, he can be buried in the AHL at the expense of a mid-round draft pick that was unlikely to amount to much anyway.
Calgary Flames
With the Calgary Flames and Kings reportedly close to a Jacob Markstrom trade at the 2024 Trade Deadline before he blocked it with his no-trade clause, fans began to speculate what the deal could have been. It would have likely involved the Kings’ 2024 first-round pick and a depth defenseman on the Flames, but Kaliyev was likely a name considered.
The Flames are in the midst of a retool and lack young, NHL-level talent. With forwards Andrew Mangiapane and Andrei Kuzmenko potentially on the trade block this offseason, they could look to fill their holes by adding Kaliyev. Kuzmenko plays a similar style to Kaliyev and broke out once he joined Calgary this season.
Coming off a 39-goal campaign with the Vancouver Canucks last season, Kuzmenko had just eight goals in 43 games to start this past season. Once he was traded to Calgary, he dominated, scoring 14 goals in 29 games. By acquiring Kaliyev, the Flames could look to learn from their experience with Kuzmenko to get him to live up to his potential.
Vegas Golden Knights
Given the Vegas Golden Knights’ tight cap situation this offseason, it is expected the team will move on from many of their pending free-agent forwards. Whether it be Michael Amadio, William Carrier, Anthony Mantha, Chandler Stephenson, or elsewhere, there will be players lost, so the team could look to add a high-upside forward on a cheap contract.
Just like the Golden Knights did in bringing in Brett Howden via trade in 2021, they could take a flier on another former top prospect. They are known for their ability to get the most out of their players, notably witnessing William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault’s breakouts in the team’s inaugural season. If there was an ideal destination for Kaliyev, Vegas is it, so only time will tell if the two teams connect.
Tampa Bay Lightning
A bit of a wild card trade destination is the Tampa Bay Lightning. While there is not much trade speculation regarding Tampa Bay, Kaliyev feels like a great fit. The team likes to split its elite scorers up, so he could get a bottom-six opportunity where he slots in alongside a strong forward like Anthony Cirelli.
Another reason a trade makes sense is the Lightning will not have many ways to improve its roster. The team’s priority is going to be re-signing captain, Steven Stamkos, so they may fall behind in the free-agent market. Planning ahead, they could scrap together a trade package for Kaliyev to solidify their bottom six.
While Kaiiyev had a disappointing 2023-24 season, he is still just 22 years old. Despite there seemingly being no place for the young forward on the Kings, there should be trade interest from across the league. There is no guarantee he will get traded, but if he does, the package going back to Los Angeles will be the ultimate question.
