Viktor Arvidsson addition further proof Oilers’ culture has flipped

EDMONTON, AB — After years of tormenting the Edmonton Oilers from afar, Viktor Arvidsson wormed his way into a pre-camp scrimmage and found himself skating against Connor McDavid.

What happened next? What do you think?

Arvidsson tried to slow down the Oilers’ captain, predictably got tangled up with him, and McDavid’s scrimmage ended on a sore and sour note. He stayed down a while, then held his hip as he skated off, visibly unhappy.

“I was just as at fault as he was, but, yeah, kind of funny how it worked out. Old habits, right?,” McDavid said the next day. “Sometimes you can’t shake it.”

Old habits?

“Yeah, maybe,” smiled Arvidsson, who wasn’t laughing the day before in a dead quiet practice rink when McDavid stayed down.

Oilers land industrious winger they have long needed in Viktor Arvidsson

EDMONTON, AB – The Mattias Ekholm trade was gold. If his buddy Viktor Arvidsson turns out to be anything close, it’s another excellent add of a veteran Swedish player to the Edmonton Oilers roster.

“I’ll take the fault for that (signing). I think he’s a great player,” Ekholm said over the phone from Sweden, with a laugh. “I think he’s going to be a great add for us.”

Arvidsson, 31, is an industrious, middle-six right winger who plays the game on the inside and scores big goals. He has a recent injury history, but promised to deliver as the Oilers’ top signing on July 1.

Kings’ Arvidsson Finds a Home on the Second Line

LOS ANGELES, CA – Last summer, Los Angeles Kings general manager Rob Blake made a series of moves intended to take the team from rebuilding bottom-feeders to playoff hopefuls. The first of those moves was trading a 2021 second-round pick and a 2022 third-round pick to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Viktor Arvidsson. The initial plan was for Arvidsson to come in and be the goal-scoring winger Anze Kopitar has been missing for the last few seasons. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, but Arvidsson has still found success with the team and is now one of their best offensive weapons.

Viktor Arvidsson on joining LA Kings: “I’m here to win”

LOS ANGELES, CA – Not long after the calendar flipped to July, LA Kings general manager Rob Blake wasted little time to improve the roster, sending two draft picks to Nashville in exchange for Viktor Arvidsson. The Swedish winger is three years removed from a 34-goal season, although the last couple of years have been somewhat disappointing.

However, the 28-year-old is hoping to regain form in Los Angeles and playing alongside one of the game’s best puck facilitators in Anze Kopitar.

LA Kings Acquire Viktor Arvidsson from Predators

LOS ANGELES, CA – The LA Kings have acquired forward Viktor Arvidsson from the Nashville Predators in exchange for their second-round selection in the 2021 NHL Draft and third-round selection in the 2022 NHL Draft, according to Vice President and General Manager Rob Blake.

Arvidsson, 28, joins the Kings after spending the last seven seasons with the Predators organization. A two-time 30-goal scorer, Arvidsson tallied a career-best 34 goals in 2018-19 to set the franchise record for goals in a season. That same season, he established a franchise record for goals per-game in a single campaign and was third overall in the NHL at 0.59. He has twice reached a career-high 61 points in a single season, including 2016-17 with 31 goals and 30 assists before adding another 13 points (3-10=13) in 22 postseason games to help the Predators reach the Stanley Cup Final. The following season, he tallied 29 goals and a career-high 32 assists as the Predators went on to claim the President’s Trophy as the team with the league’s best regular-season record.

Arvidsson, Ekholm Win Gold for Sweden at World Championship

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK –

It’s a golden moment for the Nashville Swedes.

Filip Forsberg scored the winner in the shootout as Sweden defeated Switzerland by a 3-2 final in the Gold Medal Game at the 2018 IIHF World Championship. As a result, Forsberg, Viktor Arvidsson andMattias Ekholm collect their first World Championship gold medals of their careers, while Roman Josi and Kevin Fiala earn silver medals, the second time Josi has taken home silver.

Josi and Fiala assisted on Switzerland’s first goal of the contest, and Josi also added a helper on the second Swiss goal. Ekholm tallied an assist on Sweden’s first marker of the game before Forsberg scored in the shootout, and then Swedish netminder Anders Nilsson made one more save to send the Swedes flying off the bench.

Preds, Arvidsson sign 7-year, $29.75M deal

The 24-year-old had a career year in 2016-17, scoring 31 goals and adding 30 assists over 80 games with the Preds. He netted three goals and 10 assists over 22 playoffs games as the Predators fell in the Stanley Cup Final against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Selected in the fourth round of the 2014 Draft, Arvidsson has 39 goals and 38 assists over 142 career games in Nashville.

Arvidsson Leads Preds Shorthanded Prowess

Who’s to say exactly what factor will decide a game – or even swing the series – when the Predators take on Chicago in the First Round of the Western Conference playoffs?

It might be something as clear cut as brilliant goaltending, superior firepower or punishing physical play.

Then again, the difference in a single, tightly contested game – and by extension a series – might might be more swift and subtle.