The Los Angeles Kings have gone from Stanley Cup hopefuls to barely holding onto a playoff spot in a span of two months, and the team could become sellers ahead of the Mar. 8 NHL Trade Deadline as a result.

But as the wheels continue to fall off in California, the club received some positive news on Thursday ahead of a road matchup with the New Jersey Devils.

Viktor Arvidsson, who has missed the entire season after suffering a disappointing training camp back injury, will return to the lineup at the Prudential Center, the team announced.

The 30-year-old was activated off long-term injured reserve in advance of the outer-conference matchup — and rematch of the 2012 Stanley Cup Final.

“He brings great energy, and to me, through this whole tough stretch, he’s the exact player we were probably missing,” interim head coach Jim Hiller said earlier this week, per LA Kings Insiders' Zach Dooley. “He’s a scorer, he doesn’t take no for an answer, he just goes. He’s a player that goes to the net. So, we’ll welcome him back.”

Arvidsson was excellent for the Kings in 2022-23, scoring 26 goals and adding 59 points in 77 games. That was good enough for third on the team in goals and fourth in points.

Although it could take the Swede some time to get acclimated back into the lineup — he did have surgery in October — he has been sorely missed in 2023-24, and should make an immediate impact.

“He’s a dynamic offensive player, who contributes offensively both at even strength and on the power play, though he doesn’t chase offense at the expense of defensive play,” wrote Dooley. “It’s an exciting player to get back into the lineup.”

Arvidsson skated on a line with Phillip Danualt and Trevor Moore at Wednesday's practice in New Jersey.

Arvidsson returns; Carl Grundstrom, Blake Lizotte hit LTIR

Although the return of Viktor Arvidsson is monumental news for a flailing Kings team, it also came with a few disappointing corresponding moves. Both Carl Grundstrum and Blake Lizotte, who are dealing with lower-body injuries, were placed on long-term injured reserve.

Grundstrom left Tuesday's 7-0 shellacking to the Buffalo Sabres in the second period and did not return. He'll now miss at least the team's next 10 games.

Lizotte hasn't played since getting injured in a 5-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Jan. 15. Although he doesn't have an immediate timeline, he's eligible to be activated sooner than 10 games.

The Kings will look forward to welcoming both players back, but will be thrilled to get Viktor Arvidsson back ahead of a crucial matchup — along with every other regular-season game down the stretch — against the Devils.