Rangers right wing Arthur Kaliyev, left, pursues the puck with...

Rangers right wing Arthur Kaliyev, left, pursues the puck with Colorado Avalanche defenseman Sam Malinski in the second period of an NHL game Tuesday in Denver. Credit: AP/David Zalubowski

SALT LAKE CITY – Coach Peter Laviolette doesn’t know that much about the newest Ranger, Arthur Kaliyev, just yet. But goaltender Jonathan Quick, who was a teammate of Kaliyev’s for two seasons in Los Angeles, knows him well enough.

“He's a shooter,’’ Quick said with a smile when asked a few days ago for a scouting report. “Yeah, you’ve got to talk to him every now and then about practice, and keeping [the shots] down a little bit, but he just wants to score goals. He has an elite release and shot.’’

The Rangers claimed Kaliyev, 23, off waivers from the Kings on Jan. 6. He’s played three games for the Blueshirts and has yet to score a point, but Laviolette is intrigued enough to want to see more.

“We're trying to get that opinion of his game, and so, the conversations with him are to work to make an impact and to show what you're capable of,’’ Laviolette said at the Rangers’ optional practice Wednesday at the Olympic Oval, the day before their first game in Utah against the first-year Utah Hockey Club. “You know that he can shoot the puck and he can create. He's a big guy. He can have that impact in the game.’’

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Kaliyev (6-2, 210) had one shot on goal in Tuesday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche and it caught Laviolette’s attention. It was a shot from the left side, off the rush, that was headed for the far corner before Avalanche goalie Mackenzie Blackwood barely managed to get a piece of it and deflect it wide.

“The shot that he got off last night was ripped,’’ Laviolette said. “It was… kind of sneaky, the way he came off the rush. It came off [the stick] fast, and it was labeled to where it wanted to go. And I think [Blackwood] just got a piece of the pad on it. Great shot. I'd like to see more of that finding his way into those areas where he can get that shot off. It's a strength of his.’’

Kaliyev, who was born in Uzbekistan but moved to Staten Island as a youth and lived there for a few years before moving to Michigan for hockey, called his trying to fit in with the Rangers “crazy.’’

“That's kind of my start of year, in the middle of the season, and jump right into new team,’’ he said. “But I think it's getting slowly better, I'm feeling a little better each game.’’

Kaliyev had 13 goals and 15 assists in 56 games with the Kings in the 2022-23 season, including eight power-play goals. Last season he was limited to 51 games and had 15 points.

One thing that may help is if Kaliyev can play a few games with the same linemates. He’s been with different linemates in each of his three games, but Tuesday he played with Chris Kreider and Filip Chytil, who both returned from injury. And with Laviolette indicating he likes how well the other three lines are playing together, it would seem he’ll likely keep the Kreider-Chytil-Kaliyev trio together for a little while, at least.

“Trying to find some continuity inside of a line, I think that takes a minute, too,’’ Laviolette said. “I know that [Kaliyev] is a guy that can make a difference offensively and we'd like to see him try and continue to push that.

“I do think that, you know, there could be something there.’’

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