Kings Rumors: Young Forward "Looking For Change" From Los Angeles

Arthur Kaliyev, Los Angeles Kings' young forward, has been facing a period of uncertainty and change in his professional hockey career.

Despite a promising start to the season, following an impressive training camp, Kaliyev's role in the team has seen a notable decrease.

This reduction in his participation has led to a series of healthy scratches, stirring speculations about his future with the Kings.

The Kings have made some questionable development, cap, and deployment decisions with some of their young players in the past couple of years, but none more egregious than Arthur Kaliyev. We’re a team that spent years collecting young talent, just to mismanage them. https://t.co/bsiPuXq6Cf
— Leib Menter (@liontamer18) January 24, 2024

The situation has reached a point where insiders like Elliotte Friedman and Darren Dreger have discussed Kaliyev's potential desire for "a change of scenery".

Friedman, on a recent episode of The Jeff Marek Show, expressed his curiosity about Kaliyev's future with the Kings, noting that the player hasn't been playing as much lately despite finding a niche role earlier in the year.

Furthermore, Dreger mentioned on TSN Insider Trading that Kaliyev might be looking for a change, although the Kings seem hesitant to initiate a trade at the moment.

If Arthur Kaliyev is truly on the block for the Kings I’d be severely disappointed if Verbeek doesn’t at least call
— Connor (@91_Pluty) January 24, 2024

This situation has led to other teams inquiring about Kaliyev's availability, though the Kings have not yet shown a readiness to let him go.

Kaliyev's performance this season, with six goals and 14 points in 36 games, might not mirror his previous season's productivity, where he tallied 28 points in 56 games.

Nonetheless, his potential and past performance have kept him on the radar of several teams. If the Kings decide to make significant changes to their roster before the trade deadline, Kaliyev could become a key piece in those plans, given his upside as a young, talented forward. Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports