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On July 1st, Viktor Arvidsson, a right-handed winger, joined the Oilers from the LA Kings on a 2-year contract worth $4 million AAV. What makes this move interesting is that the Oilers have faced Arvidsson and the Kings in the first round of the playoffs for the past three years. Hopefully, Arvidsson can finally break past the first round with the Oilers, considering they’ve been the team to eliminate him three years in a row. At $4 million AAV, this seems like a good deal, offering both potential and reasonable costs. Jeff Jackson has done an excellent job during this free-agency window, and Arvidsson is expected to make a big impact for the Oilers soon.
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Reunited with Ekholm!
Arvidsson previously played for the Nashville Predators from 2014-2021. During his time in Nashville, he shared a dressing room with Ekholm for seven seasons, including their trip to the 2017 Stanley Cup Final where the Predators were defeated by the Pittsburgh Penguins. There’s a close relationship between the two Swedes and their families dating back to their time in Nashville. Arvidsson mentioned that Ekholm played a significant role in convincing him to join the Oilers due to their long-standing friendship. With a career-high of 61 points (30 Goals, 31 Assists) in the 2016-2017 season, Oilers fans are hoping he can replicate that level of production alongside his old teammate Mattias against Winnipeg in 96 days.
Injury Concerns?
Arvidsson’s last season was limited to 18 games due to injury, but he was productive, contributing six goals and nine assists for 15 points after recovering from off-season back surgery. Despite missing half the regular season and more time due to a lower-body issue, Arvidsson believes the injuries are behind him, and he’s shown his productivity when on the ice. I’m confident that past injuries won’t hinder his future performance, and I believe he will be instrumental in providing Leon Draisaitl with a scoring winger on the second line. If he has good chemistry with his linemates, he may play on the top power-play unit, but he will definitely play on the second unit to start the season.
The potential line combinations for the Oilers look extremely dangerous, and Kris Knoblauch will have the ability to orchestrate the team like a game of chess with the incredible additions of Jeff Skinner and Arvidsson come soon.
