The Ottawa Senators declined to issue a qualifying offer to restricted free agent forward Arthur Kaliyev on Monday, June 29, 2026, ahead of the afternoon deadline.
This decision makes the American Hockey League's leading goal-scorer an unrestricted free agent.
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According to Postmedia, the 25-year-old winger will hit the open market on Wednesday after spending the majority of last season with Ottawa's AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators.
He scored 40 goals and 68 points in 78 games.
The standard contract deadline also saw Ottawa cut ties with 23-year-old center Riley Kidney.
Meanwhile, the team extended a $1.05 million qualifying offer to goaltender Leevi Merilainen and attempted to secure newly acquired goaltender Samuel Ersson before his arbitration window opens.
Matt Turek, Belleville General Manager, praised Kaliyev's performance. "Arthur had an exceptional year and is very deserving of this recognition," Turek said.
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"His ability to generate offence and make an impact every night was a major asset to our group, and we're proud to see him recognized among the league's best."
Kaliyev previously played under Ottawa President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Steve Staios in the OHL.
He was named an AHL First-Team All-Star but saw limited NHL action due to a temporary league investigation regarding unfounded gambling allegations.
With Kaliyev exiting the organization to seek an NHL contract elsewhere, the Senators plan to shift their focus toward finalizing a deal with Ersson.
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They also aim to restructure their goaltending development system under newly appointed coordinator Maciej Szwoch.
