Arthur Kaliyev: the Habs are still seen as a logical team to acquire him

This summer, the Habs’ plan was to improve their forward group. So far, they’ve drafted Ivan Demidov, signed Juraj Slafkovský to an eight-year pact and, in terms of depth, reached an agreement with Alex Barré-Boulet.

We know that he was also in the running for Jonathan Marchessault, who nonetheless headed for Nashville.

What we can see, then, is that the club has improved offensively in the long term… but in the short term, it’s pretty much status quo at the moment.

So, as with Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook, one wonders if the Habs could attempt another such transaction to improve in the shorter term (while continuing to think long-term)…

And in an article for The Hockey News, Adam Proteau placed the Habs among the three most logical teams to acquire forward Arthur Kaliyev from Los Angeles.

It’s worth remembering that this isn’t the first time the striker’s name has been linked to the Habs this summer. David Pagnotta also linked the Montreal team to Kaliyev, who seems to be looking for a change of scenery in Los Angeles.

In Kaliyev, the Habs would be taking a gamble to develop a good-sized forward who, at 23, doesn’t seem to have reached his full offensive potential in Los Angeles. Last year, for example, he amassed seven goals and 15 points in 51 games, although he seems to have the talent to produce much more.

And in the worst-case scenario, in the long term, his mix of size and offensive skills could make him a luxury third-line player. When he matures, he’ll probably be behind the likes of Suzuki, Caufield, Slafkovský, Demidov, Dach and Newhook in Montreal… but the idea of seeing him on a third line with Joshua Roy and Owen Beck, for example, is very intriguing.

He probably wouldn’t cost a fortune to acquire, and the Habs have so many picks in the upcoming drafts that they could easily sacrifice one or two to take a gamble on Kaliyev. Especially since, as Proteau notes, one wonders whether playing in a higher-pressure market might bring out the best in him.

Playing under a coach like Martin St-Louis, who is good at positioning his young forwards for success, could also help. In Los Angeles, there’s no time for development… but in Montreal, there is.

So we’ll see if it comes to fruition, but he’s definitely the kind of player the Habs would be interested in. I imagine Kent Hughes has been feeling him out.