When the Ottawa Senators selected Shane Pinto 32nd overall in the 2019 NHL Draft, some Sens fans raised an eyebrow or two, wondering if Hamilton Bulldogs winger Arthur Kaliyev might have been the better choice. Kaliyev had just put up a 51-goal OHL season, and ended up being chosen by the LA Kings with the very next pick after Pinto.

Needless to say, over the past six years, Pinto has firmly established himself as the better NHL player, leaving Kaliyev in the dust in both development and impact. So that discussion has been dead for a few seasons now.

But Kaliyev re-entered the Ottawa chat a few days ago after the New York Rangers opted not to extend him a qualifying offer. Suddenly, Kaliyev was a UFA at 24. And as we speculated he might earlier this week, Senators GM Steve Staios took the opportunity on Wednesday to grab Kaliyev, one of his star players from his days as Bulldogs GM.

Under Staios and team owner Michael Andlauer, Kaliyev helped the Bulldogs capture the OHL championship in 2018, then scored 95 goals over the next two seasons. But at the NHL level, his skating and defense have both been an issue. But few people would argue one thing: His slap shot and one-timer are both fierce. Unfortunately for the player, that hasn't translated to NHL success.

On Wednesday, the Senators announced that Kaliyev was one of five players signed to a two-way contract to help out Belleville and add some NHL depth in the event of injury. Along with rejoining Staios and Andlauer in Ottawa, Kaliyev might also be able to recreate some of the junior magic in Belleville with his former OHL teammate, Jan Jenik, who received a qualifying offer from the Senators but remains a restricted free agent. 

Kaliyev last played in March against the Winnipeg Jets when he suffered a season-ending upper-body injury. To that point, he had four points in 14 games for the Rangers after being claimed off waivers by the Kings in January. Prior to being claimed, Kaliyev had missed the entire Kings' season to that point, reportedly fracturing his clavicle during Day 2 of training camp.

For Kaliyev, the move offers a fresh start among familiar faces who still believe in him and have seen firsthand what he's capable of. At this point in his career trajectory, there's probably no better landing spot for him than this organization. For the Sens, it really doesn't cost them anything to see if there's still an NHL player in there. At the very least, he'll help in Belleville.

Speaking of which...

Other Signings

In addition to Kaliyev, the Senators also signed forwards Hayden Hodgson, Wyatt Bongiovanni, Olle Lycksell, and goaltender Hunter Shepard to two-way deals.

Hunter Shepard joins the Senators after playing 39 games for the Hershey Bears (AHL) last season, finishing with a 23-11-4 record, a 2.80 goals-against average, and a .891 save percentage. Over 118 AHL games, Shepard has a crazy 78-26-12 record with a 2.22 GAA and .914 SV%. He also appeared in five NHL games for the Washington Capitals, posting a 2-2-1 record.

Wyatt Bongiovanni returns after a solid season in Belleville, where he scored 22 goals and 11 assists for 33 points in 54 games, tying for the team lead in goals. Originally acquired from the Winnipeg Jets in March 2024, Bongiovanni has 76 points (51 goals) in 161 career AHL games.

Olle Lycksell split his 2024–25 season between the Philadelphia Flyers and their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The 25-year-old had five assists in 19 NHL games, while posting 19 goals and 25 assists in 43 AHL games. Lycksell has 128 points in 134 career AHL games, along with 11 points in 45 NHL appearances.

Hayden Hodgson is a big body at 6-foot-two, 221 pounds, known for his forecheck and physical play. He played two games for Ottawa and 43 in Belleville, where he put up 11 points and 156 penalty minutes for the B-Sens.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News - Ottawa

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