The Ottawa Senators have made a move to bolster their forward depth, recalling left winger Arthur Kaliyev from the Belleville Senators. The recall comes after the Sens placed Brady Tkachuk (hand/wrist) on injured reserve, and as the Sens prepare to host the Seattle Kraken on Thursday night at Canadian Tire Centre.

Kaliyev signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Sens on July 2, reuniting with a hockey operations team that's familiar to him. He spent three seasons in the OHL with the Hamilton Bulldogs, a junior career that provided Sens GM Steve Staios, who used to run the Bulldogs, with a clear opinion of the player's skill set and character.

But the 24-year-old has not yet been able to replicate his junior numbers in the pro ranks. His 95 goals over two seasons in Hamilton are nothing more than a distant memory.

Kaliyev enters the recall with 202 NHL games under his belt, putting up 75 points (38 goals, 37 assists) during stints with both the Kings and the New York Rangers. 

Kaliyev failed to make the Sens out of training camp but collected two assists in his first two games with Belleville. The Sens are hoping his shooting ability might be able to provide an offensive spark, particularly on their power play, utilizing one of the best releases in the game. After winning their opener, Ottawa has lost three games in a row.

Last season, Kaliyev was derailed by two separate clavicle fractures. The first injury occurred in training camp; after returning in January with the Kings, he was placed on waivers and claimed by New York. In his 14 games with the Rangers, he logged three goals and one assist before suffering a second fracture in the same shoulder, forcing him to end his season prematurely.

He acknowledged that joining Ottawa may give him one of his best opportunities: “Ottawa knows me well … To come here, this was my best option.”

There's no word yet on whether he'll suit up on Thursday night or not, but Ottawa probably represents the last chance for Kaliyev to prove he can still be an NHL asset.

As for Tkachuk, the move to injured reserve isn't a surprise. The club has already said he'll miss at least four weeks with what's believed to be a wrist or hand injury suffered in the Nashville game on Monday. The only question now is whether he'll need surgery.

If he does, the timeline for recovery could be anywhere between 2-5 months. It all depends on the nature and severity of the injury, which is information we should be getting in the next day or two.

More Sens headlines at the Hockey News Ottawa:
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An Early Glance At The Senators' Goaltending Pipeline
Brady Tkachuk Likely To Miss A Month Of Action (At Least)
Another Tough Break For Josh Norris, A Player Ottawa Still Roots For
Yakemchuk Reflects On Playing First Pro Game Saturday