The Los Angeles Kings have acquired Viktor Arvidsson from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a second-round selection in the 2021 NHL Draft and a third-round selection in the 2022 NHL Draft. The veteran forward has spent his entire seven-year career with the Predators after being selected 112th overall in 2014.
After missing the playoffs for the third-straight season, the Kings were looking for a boost in their forward ranks. They definitely get it with Arvidsson. A two-time 30-goal scorer, he has been a key cog in the Predators’ offence since becoming a full-time NHLer during the 2015-16 season. Now a part of a bright future in Hollywood where talent like Quinton Byfield, Alex Turcotte, Arthur Kaliyev, and Gabriel Vilardi are set to shine in the next few years, he will look to mesh with a new core group after Jeff Carter, Tanner Pearson and Tyler Toffoli have moved on in recent seasons.
Even though Arvidsson has regressed in the last couple of seasons, he is still a lethal goal scorer capable of scoring 20-30 goals with the right pivot. With Anze Kopitar still performing at a high level and Byfield set to be a key part of the offence next season, he will definitely get that with the Kings moving forward. In 385 NHL games, he has posted 127 goals and 239 points along with a very solid 53.1 Corsi-for percentage (CF%). He will help drive the Kings’ offence from the top-six and contribute on both special teams, as he is also a solid penalty killer and a threat shorthanded with 10 career shorthanded goals.
Arvidsson is currently on the fifth year of a seven-year contract he signed with the Predators in July of 2017. He is also on a relatively budget-friendly $4.25 million in average annual value (AAV) and he is signed for the next three seasons, so the Kings are basically getting a steal here for two draft picks that are not the eighth overall pick in 2021.
Predators Start Making Moves
After vowing to make changes after the disappointment of losing in four games to the Arizona Coyotes in the qualifying round last season, Predators’ general manager David Poile is now acting on that promise. Arvidsson is just the first domino to fall in an offseason sure to shake up the team before the puck drops on 2021-2022. Not obtaining a first-round pick is disappointing, especially considering the caliber of player he dealt, but getting another second-round pick in an uncertain draft where solid players will most definitely fall, it’s not the end of the world.
It will be interesting to see what Poile will do with Matt Duchene and Ryan Johansen as the expansion draft hangs over his head. He will have to make a decision on his protection list very soon, and with Arvidsson off his plate, he will have another slot to fill. All in all, it’s sure to be a crazy month of July in Music City.