Arvidsson believes he can help Kings — and vice versa
From Skelleftea, Sweden, to Nashville and now to Los Angeles, newly acquired Kings winger Viktor Arvidsson’s passion for hockey has propelled him up the ice and carried him across the globe.
Arvidsson, 28, came to the Kings on July 1 in a trade that sent a 2021 second-round draft selection and a 2022 third-rounder to the Nashville Predators, the organization with which he had spent all seven seasons of his career. He has three years remaining on his contract, carrying a cap hit of $4.25 million annually.
“I’m really excited. I feel like it’s a great opportunity for me and for the team. We have something really up-and-coming with young players and older players that really want to win,” Arvidsson said.
The first feeling Arvidsson had was a bit of forlornness for his closest teammates, and that sentiment was mutual. Nashville winger and fellow Swede Filip Forsberg responded to the trade with a terse but crystal clear thumbs-down emoji on social media.
Yet Arvidsson quickly turned his attention to the potential that awaited him in Los Angeles. Arvidsson thrived in Nashville under their former coach Peter Laviolette, whose offensive system bore some similarities with that of current Kings bench boss Todd McLellan. Both systems were high-tempo and high-volume in terms of shooting.
Under Laviolette, Arvidsson pieced together three seasons in which he scored 94 goals and led the Predators in goals each year. In 2016-17, he helped spark the Predators run from wildcard longshot to Stanley Cup finalist, placing third on the team in postseason scoring and tying for the team lead in playoff assists. In 2017-18, he led the Predators in game-winning goals, a feat he’d duplicate the following season. He set a franchise record for goals in 2018-19 despite missing 24 games.
Yet scoring is just one of Arvidsson’s talents. Other than perhaps Andreas Athanasiou, he may be the fastest skater on the Kings’ roster. He relishes opportunities to challenge opponents with his speed and to create rush chances wherever possible. Despite his relatively short stature, he is hardly intimidated by the corners or the net front. He capably creates traffic with screens and deflections and remains willing to engage physically.
Pete Weber, a former broadcaster for the Kings who now works with Nashville, recently compared him to former Predators winger Patric Hornqvist, who tormented the Kings frequently during his time with Nashville.
Arvidsson has been at his most potent five-onfive, but can also contribute on the power play and kill penalties.
Ducks add Brown as assistant coach
Newell Brown rejoined the Ducks coaching staff Wednesday, beginning his third stint as an assistant coach with the team. He was an assistant to Craig Hartsburg from 1998-2000, and he also served on Randy Carlyle’s staff from 2005-10, winning the Stanley Cup in 2006-07.
Brown spent the past four seasons with the Canucks and his duties included overseeing their power play units. Vancouver had the NHL’s fourthbest power play in 2019-20, but slipped to 25th this past season. The Ducks’ 8.9% on the power play in 2020-21 was the worst in league history.
In addition to the Ducks and Canucks, Brown also has been an assistant with the Arizona Coyotes (201317), the Columbus Blue Jackets (2000-04) and the Chicago Blackhawks (1996-98). He was on Alain Vigneault’s staff from 2010-13, his first stint with the Canucks.