It’s a bit of a strange feeling to pull on Edmonton Oilers colours for free-agent addition Viktor Arvidsson.
The tenacious Swedish winger hit the ice with his new team for the first time last week and has been getting acclimated with his new teammates, but this isn’t the usual circumstance for a new player joining another team.
Arvidsson has been a thorn in the side of the Oilers for the past three seasons as a member of the LA Kings. He’s consistently tried to get under the skin of the team’s best players, but despite all that work has not been able to find a way to beat Edmonton, losing to them in the first round for three straight seasons.
As the adage goes, if you can’t beat them, join them, and that’s exactly what Arvidsson decided to do when he inked a two-year, $8 million deal with the Oilers on July 1.
“It’s a little bit strange,” Arvidsson admitted in his first media availability as an Oiler. “I didn’t play the first round [in 2022] when we went to seven, and then two years in a row it felt like I was only playing Edmonton cause I was hurt… but it feels good.”
“They’re hungry to win & I’m in the point in my career where I see myself pushing for that.”
New winger Viktor Arvidsson met with #Oilers media for the first time today.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/m74XCwusFv
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) September 10, 2024
The appeal of coming to Edmonton for Arvidsson is not only that he can avoid being beaten by the Oilers in the playoffs, but that he also has a real chance to win with this team. The Oilers came within a win of winning the Stanley Cup last season and the expectation is that they will be right in the hunt for it this season as well.
Arvidsson detailed a few of the reasons why he ultimately decided to sign on the dotted line with the Oilers.
“Their hunger to win and I’m at the point where I see myself pushing for that, so it was a no-brainer when they wanted to make a deal,” Arvidsson explained. “I’m from up north in Sweden too so I’m kind of used to the weather… but I’m excited.”
It also helps that the 31-year-old is good friends with countryman Mattias Ekholm and has talked quite a bit with the Oilers defenceman since inking a deal with Edmonton.
Arvidsson may have to shake off some old habits now that he’s with the Oilers, something that might be easier said than done as he tripped up Connor McDavid in a captain’s skate on Monday.
It doesn’t appear there are any hard feelings between the two.
“Old habits,” McDavid laughed when asked about the incident. “Sometimes you can’t shake it.”
Arvidsson is expected to play a premier role with the team this season, most likely on the right wing of Leon Draisaitl. He only managed six goals and 15 points in 18 games due to an injury but is only one year removed from a 59-point 2022-23 campaign that saw him score 26 goals.