When Brett Berard thought of Arthur Kaliyev’s shot, his mind darted back to January 2021.
To when Berard was less than a year removed from becoming a Rangers prospect and Kaliyev was two years removed from being the Kings’ second-round pick.
To the final minutes of a World Juniors semifinal between Team USA and Finland, as Berard watched from the bench and Kaliyev floated toward the center of the Finland zone to wait for a pass.
“Within a second, it was off and in the top corner,” Berard said of the game-winning shot that sent Team USA to the championship game en route to its gold medal.
Kaliyev’s release became a defining strength of the shoot-first mindset that followed him from juniors and into the NHL, helping him collect 27 points in 80 games during the 2021-22 campaign — his first full season with the Kings — and another 28 in 56 games the following year.
But lineup crunches and an injury resulted in his role diminishing with Los Angeles and then evaporating altogether this year after returning from a broken clavicle sustained in the preseason.
So Kaliyev ended up on waivers Sunday.
That’s how the kid who grew up in Staten Island attending Rangers games at the Garden ended up sharing the ice with Berard, K’Andre Miller and Jonathan Quick — three former teammates at the junior and NHL levels — during Tuesday’s morning skate before Blueshirts hosted the Stars at the Garden, the earliest glimpse of Kaliyev’s attempt at a career reset as he looks to crack and then remain in their regular lineup.
“I didn’t expect [getting waived], obviously,” Kaliyev said, “but yeah, it’s kinda like a dream come true.”
If Kaliyev can revive his NHL trajectory, his shot will likely sit at the center of the resurgence. Kaliyev’s stint with the Kings spiraled after offseason signings ultimately chipped away at his role, and he only registered 15 points across 51 games last year.
Then, early in training camp, he fractured his clavicle, and his only ice time after recovering occurred during a five-game AHL run in December.
The Rangers were still figuring out how to maximize Kaliyev — he was a healthy scratch against Dallas — in the aftermath of his first morning skate, but their slumping roster could certainly use a jolt.
Kaliyev described himself as a player who can bring “pretty much everything” to the Rangers. The goals. The chances. The presence in the defensive zone. All of it. And his shot, predictably, would remain the crux of his skill set once he’s acclimated.
“You gotta get to that point where the puck’s on your stick and you can shoot it,” Laviolette said, when asked how long the adjustment to a new system might take for Kaliyev. “So there’s more that goes into it from getting out, getting through the neutral zone, getting into the offensive zone, how we collect it, how we go about our business. There’s more that goes into that, but there’s no question he’s got a heavy shot and he’s capable when the puck’s on his stick.”
Kaliyev could make his Rangers debut at the Garden as early as Thursday, playing for the team he watched as a child and skating at the venue he attended.
He played at MSG three times as an opponent and notched an assist during the Kings’ February 2023 game against the Blueshirts, but this time, it’ll be different.
He could have Quick — the first Ranger who texted him after the team’s waiver claim —protecting his net again, just as he did for his first season-plus in Los Angeles.
Berard, who witnessed Kaliyev’s potential first-hand, will be sharing a bench with him. Same with Miller, a 2020 World Juniors teammate.
Those overlaps all happened before Kaliyev’s career stalled. But then he got the “fresh start” he wanted — another attempt to prove he can stick in an NHL role.
“Been looking for it for quite a bit of time,” Kaliyev said.
