When the Bruins obtained Viktor Arvidsson from the Edmonton Oilers last summer, it was met with not much more of a shrug from the fandom.
Yes, Arvidsson had been a five-time 20-goal scorer, twice reaching the 30-goal plateau in his previous NHL life in Nashville and Los Angeles. But two years ago, he was limited to just 18 games thanks to a second back surgery while with the Kings. Then last season, after signing a two-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers, he never found his niche and finished with just 15-12-17 totals in 67 games.
And when you consider the B’s got him for a song – a fifth round pick in 2027 – expectations were not exactly high.
But whatever those expectations were, Arvidsson has met and exceeded them. In the B’s overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday, he climbed back to 20-goal plateau for the sixth time in his career with a second-period goal while doing what goalscorers like him do, going to the net. He went into Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Wild with 20-22-42 totals.
“It was nice, obviously. Twenty goals is 20 goals. But I think I’ve always thought of myself as a 20-goal scorer,” Arvidsson said. “Last year was what it was. I didn’t play a lot of power play and stuff. You get your touches there. You feel better with the puck. Obviously I’ve played more here on the power play. It helps you offensively 5-on-5, too. I’m happy. And I want to get some more, too.”
The 32-year-old Arvidsson felt he was fully healthy and well past his back ailments last season in Edmonton. But with the offensive firepower in Edmonton, he was squeezed out of some prime opportunity.
“I felt I was playing at a good level,” Arvidsson said. “It was just a hard situation for me, hopping around in the lineup and during games, playing with different people. It was different, for sure. But I feel good and I felt good all last year, too.”
The 5-foot-10, 181-pound Arvidsson has also put up the decent offensive numbers while playing on a line with Pavel Zacha and Casey Mittelstadt that often faces the opposition’s best line.
“We have good chemistry and we like playing with each other,” Arvidsson said. “We put demands on each other, too. I think that helps when we push each other. We’re just having fun together.”
Boston Bruins left wing Viktor Arvidsson during an NHL game earlier this season at TD Garden. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
While the Swedish native exudes a veteran calm and quiet confidence off the ice, his emotions are much more visible when he’s on it. It’s one of the many things coach Marco Sturm likes about him, and there was nobody happier than Sturm when Arvidsson got to 20 goals. Arvidsson did not make a liar out of his new coach.
“When we got him last summer, I said, ‘This guy will get us 20 goals.’ And he did,” said Sturm, who was part of the Kings organization with Arvidsson. “Not just that. If you look at before (the goal he scored in Buffalo), I thought he was our best guy. And it’s great. It’s great to see. Not just with his size but the way he works. He drags guys in, scores 20 goals, he cares, he’s pissed, he’s happy. He’s everything. You name it. And with his age, too. So for me, to see that, it makes me happy because that’s the Arvy I know and that’s the Arvy I pictured in my head. And he delivered. Big time.”
Arvidsson, who has a cap hit of $4 million, will be a free agent in the offseason. As good as he’s been, you can land on either side of the debate over whether the B’s should re-sign him and still be reasonable. On the con side, the B’s hope to fill in some roster spots with younger players over the next years with James Hagens, Will Zellers, Dean Letourneau and/or Matt Poitras and signing a veteran like Arvidsson could create a log-jam. On the pro side of the argument, you know what Arvidsson is – a good, smart, competitive hockey player.
Arvidsson himself is not thinking beyond the rest of this season, however long it lasts.
“I’m more focused on this year. I’m focused on these last 10 games and then the playoffs. We’re pushing for that, so that’s where my focus lies right now, and on this group and all the players in this room,” Arvidsson said. “It will come and whatever time of year that is, we’ll see what happens. I try not to think about it. I just try to play.”
But it was nice timing for him to remind the rest of the league of who he is.
“For sure. I think I still showed that last year with how I played the game,” Arvidsson said. “I think I’m still showing what kind of player I am. And I like playing meaningful games and I think I showed that right now and after the (Olympic) break. I think I’ve been pretty effective in what I’ve done.”
Goalie decisions
As expected, Sturm went back with Jeremy Swayman against the Minnesota Wild on Saturday on the first half of the back-to-back. While that would have automatically meant Joonas Korpisalo would get the start Sunday in Columbus if this was in mid-season, Sturm didn’t rule out Swayman getting both games.
“He had a few days. I think he needed it,” Sturm said. “I really like that Korpi had a win the other night. He feels good. We feel good about him. I think he needed that. But I’d also say Sway could be a candidate for (Sunday) as well.”