Kings Kaliyev 'Didn't Help us Down The Stretch at All" According to Blake
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One of the more interesting situations of the Los Angeles Kings 2023-24 season was the Arthur Kaliyev situation.
Once a highly-touted prospect who was getting rave reviews from coaches and fellow players in training camp, Kaliyev’s career in LA took a nose dive in the second half of the season.
The healthy scratches began in January during the Kings dismal run that saw Todd McLellan fired and then continued under Jim Hiller, often being the forward to come out in favor of a seventh defenseman.
Kaliyev’s future in LA has been in doubt for a few months now and it feels likely over after Rob Blake’s comments on Monday.
“He didn’t help down the stretch here at all,” said Blake. “So, we’re going to have to figure something out with him for sure.”
Blake then said it was too early to know if he’d be with the organization after this summer.
The phrasing from Blake there is interesting. He isn’t wrong, Kaliyev didn’t help the team down the stretch.
But that also misses the context that Kaliyev barely played down the stretch.
He played in less than half the teams games in the second half and played in just six after the trade deadline, with no games during the playoffs.
The message from Blake felt clear, the lack of playing time is on Kaliyev and he didn’t do what he needed to do.
That might be true, but it seems clear that Kaliyev won’t be with the organization much longer, despite Blake’s non-committal answer about Kaliyev’s future.
If you’re Kaliyev, or his agent, I doubt you’re pleased about Blake’s comments.
Blaming him for not having an impact when he spent the majority of “the stretch” in the press box.
Kaliyev leaving this summer felt like an inevitability and those comments felt like a final nail in the coffin for Kaliyev in LA.
The Kings can trade his RFA rights or not qualify him and let him walk for nothing.
It’s unlikely that Kaliyev’s RFA rights will fetch much of a return, so the Kings will end up with another lackluster return for a high draft pick.
The Kings’ top-three picks from the 2019 draft are particularly damning indictment of their inability to graduate prospects.
Alex Turcotte has still not established himself in the NHL, although in their defense that is mostly due to injury, Tobias Bjornfot was lost for nothing on waivers, and now it’s likely Kaliyev is lost for very little.
Kaliyev’s failings may very well be his own fault, but when you look at the Kings’ recent track record of developing prospects, it’s hard to think the team takes no responsibility either.