One of the youngest captains in Kontinental Hockey League history at age 23, the Russia-born Kalinin brought his game to North America when he signed as a free agent with the New Jersey Devils on May 29, 2015.

The Devils got a versatile forward who can play center or wing. He has the speed to score off the rush and the power and puck-protection skills to work down low and score from in front of the net.

A bit of a late bloomer offensively, Kalinin scored 19 goals in 155 games during his first four-plus seasons with Omsk Avangard in the KHL, but scored 12 goals with 13 assists in 58 games as a 23-year-old captain in 2014-15.

Kalinin continued to develop offensively during his first season in the NHL, finishing with eight goals, including two game-winners, and seven assists in 78 games in 2015-16. He also showed a physical side, ranking second on the Devils with 146 hits.

No stranger to the international stage, Kalinin helped Russia win the 2011 World Junior Championship, when he scored a goal and had two assists in seven games, and the 2014 World Championship, when he scored two goals and added an assist in nine games.

NOTES & TRANSACTIONS

• Signed as a free agent by New Jersey, May 29, 2015.
• Traded to Toronto by New Jersey for Viktor Loov, February 18, 2017.