The Edmonton Oilers signed Viktor Arvidsson to a two-year, $8 million contract when free agency opened. Arvidsson had plenty of injury issues in 2023-24, but his production when he did get in the lineup gives the Oilers hope that he will help solve their lack of depth scoring. He had 15 points in 18 games while playing with nowhere near the same amount of talent he will be alongside in Edmonton. Arvidsson's point output was 0.83 per game and 2.11 points/60 minutes. Most players have increased production when playing with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, so Arvidsson has to be excited about his potential over the next two seasons. Arvidsson was one piece of a two-piece plan for Edmonton. The Oilers also signed Jeff Skinner to a one-year contract after his buyout from the Buffalo Sabres.
Arvidsson played three seasons with the Los Angeles Kings after a successful run with the Nashville Predators. Arvidsson played 70+ games just three times over nine seasons. The only concern for the Oilers would be if he can stay healthy enough to contribute. The Oilers should build on this past season's success and have no trouble getting through the regular season, but they'll need Arvidsson to be healthy for the playoffs.
Viktor Arvidsson has familiarity with the Oilers
It may not have been the only reason that Viktor Arvidsson signed a contract with the Oilers, but you have to believe he had one of his best friends in hockey vouching for his abilities with the front office. Arvidsson played with Mattias Ekholm in Nashville from 2014 to 2021. The pair went on a historic run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2017 before the Pittsburgh Penguins eliminated them.
Arvidsson expressed his relationship with Ekholm as a big reason for the contract when he met with Edmonton media over Zoom. “The process was pretty straightforward. I had a few teams [interested], but I’ve known Ekky (Mattias Ekholm) for a long time and our families know each other well. He convinced me pretty early and I think that was a big part of it too, so I'm happy and our family is really happy to join the team. I talked to Ekky a little bit and it's awesome to see that you can go that far, and I've done it once. He just told me it's a great place to be and where the team is heading, and he was really excited for me to come to Edmonton, so that helped a lot. Our families know each other well too.”
Arvidsson also hails from the same hometown as Philip Broberg. Broberg solidified his spot on the Oilers blueline going forward with a great performance in the playoffs. The Oilers' defense was struggling, and Brogberg stepped in for Vincent Desharnais and Cody Ceci with plenty of success.
Oilers needed more scoring
The Oilers almost rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the Stanley Cup Final. Connor McDavid had historic performances in Games 4 and 5 to bring it to 3-2, then Leon Draisaitl finally stepped up in Game 6 to get them to a winner-take-all situation. The offense went dry in Game 7, as the Panthers smothered the Oilers' stars and no one remained to finish the job.
It was an unfortunate end to the season for the Oilers. The questions around the Oilers were all the same when the season began:
- Did the Oilers have enough scoring depth?
- Could Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl put the team on their backs?
- Will their defense hold up?
- What about the goaltending?
The Oilers passed every test with flying colors. The season began poorly for them, as they sat in 32nd place at one point before firing Jay Woodcroft and hiring Kris Knoblauch. They went on an unprecedented run that saw them become one of the best teams in the NHL for the last 50 games.
Is Viktor Arvidsson the missing piece?
It's difficult for the Oilers not to imagine where they'd be sitting now if they had more depth scoring. It isn't just because of the result in Game 7. Better depth scoring to start the season may have put the Oilers in a favorable position during the regular season, which could have given them a better path to the Stanley Cup Final and less of a strain on their players entering the final series.
Jeff Jackson and the Oilers hope he corrected that flaw with the contracts of Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner. The Oilers' top six forwards are full of scoring options, and their bottom six will also benefit. Skinner and Arvidsson may not be the flashiest of signings this offseason, but they'll be the players who make the most of an impact in the 2024-25 season.
Final Grade: A
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