Should Flyers Trade for Kings Forward Arthur Kaliyev?

The Philadelphia Flyers trade wheels keep on turning, at least this time of the year. The Flyers have shown their willingness to buy low on young talent after acquiring Jamie Drysdale from the Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 8. Now, it looks like another opportunity for them to do so will arise from the Western Conference once again.

Phoning into Tuesday’s “The Jeff Marek Show“, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman was discussing the Los Angeles Kings’ recent win over the Carolina Hurricanes before interjecting – almost unprovoked – with his thoughts on forward Arthur Kaliyev.

“You know who I’m wondering about here is Kaliyev,” Friedman started. “That’s a guy I’m kind of wondering about right now. Well, he’s not playing. It looked like this year they found a really nice niche spot for him, but he hasn’t been playing lately. I wonder what his future there is,” he concluded before immediately changing the topic to a different player.

They say when there’s smoke, there’s fire, and if you’re the Flyers, you would be wise to pony up your firetrucks and ladders to get ready to rescue Kaliyev from the Kings. It goes without saying that the price for any trade will be a major sticking point, but Kaliyev is just 22 years old and has been a double-digit goal-scorer twice in the NHL despite limited playing time.

The Uzbekistan-born winger stands at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, so size will be of no concern to the Flyers. Kaliyev has produced at about a 40-point rate throughout his career, though his production has slightly declined this year in spite of an uptick in his average ice time. It’s also worth noting that Los Angeles has not exactly been a beacon of hope for young players as of late.

2020 second-overall pick Quinton Byfield is just now having his breakout season after two non-descript seasons in the NHL. 25-year-old Pierre-Luc Dubois has yet to score 10 goals or 20 points this season. 2021 eighth-overall pick Brandt Clarke has played just two games this season and 11 in total in his NHL career. The Vegas Golden Knights just claimed 2019 22nd-overall pick Tobias Bjornfot on waivers. What exactly is going on in LA?

The Flyers have the perfect opportunity to poach another first-round talent in Kaliyev if the price is right.

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