Arvidsson Confident He’ll be Good Fit with Bruins

BOSTON – Viktor Arvidsson is hoping some familiarity will go a long way.

The 32-year-old winger is coming to the Bruins with some connections already solidified, having played alongside fellow Swedes Hampus (junior hockey) and Elias Lindholm (4 Nations), and under new head coach Marco Sturm, who was an assistant with the Kings during his first year in Los Angeles in 2021-22.

“That’s good to have when you come to a new team,” Arvidsson said of having some familiar faces around the dressing room. “It’s gonna be fun and it’s gonna be really, really exciting…I’ve been lucky in my career to have Swedes on all the teams I’ve been on and come to. That’s really important, I feel like. You go to that first and that helps you for sure.”

Arvidsson, who was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday afternoon in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round pick, has twice scored 30-plus goals in his career and four times hit the 25-goal mark. In 613 career games, the Skelleftea, Sweden native has 194 goals, 195 assists, and 389 points in 613 games.

“I’m gonna come there, I’m gonna play a responsible game, and I think Marco knows exactly what he’s getting from me,” said Arvidsson. “I’m gonna help offensively and bring scoring. I know I can do that. I know I had a little bit of a tough time last year with that and the opportunity. I’m gonna bring that, I know that. I’m really confident that I’m gonna make the team better.

“Just really happy and excited, first of all – both me and my whole family are excited to be a part of the Bruins. Just coming to a great sports city, it’s gonna be really fun.”

The 5-foot-10, 185-pounder tallied 15 goals and 27 points in 67 games for the Oilers in the regular season, before notching two goals and seven points in 15 games during Edmonton’s run to the Stanley Cup Final.

“I think I’m gonna take a bigger role and have more opportunity…knowing Marco from before, me and him have a really good relationship. I think that’s gonna be a fun year too,” Arvidsson said of bouncing back with a change of scenery.

Before this past season in Edmonton, Arvidsson spent three years in Los Angeles where he put up seasons of 20 and 26 goals in 2021-22 and 2022-23 before an injury limited him to just 18 games in 2023-24. During that first year with the Kings, Sturm was the team’s power-play coach, giving Arvidsson a strong idea of what to expect as they get set to reunite.

“I’ve talked to him briefly,” said Arvidsson, who spent the first seven seasons of his career in Nashville where he notched his two 30-goal campaigns in 2016-17 and 2018-19. “Obviously, we’ve known each other and I’ve been playing under him. He was my power-play coach in L.A. I just think he sees the game really well…he played it and he gets it. I think that’s gonna be a really, really good coach for the team and for a young group that can learn and push for the playoffs.”

Bruins general manager Don Sweeney believes that Arvidsson's power-play experience at the net front will help the club, which ranked 29th on the man advantage last season.

"He’s got some grease there," said Sweeney. "Knows timing is also part of the net front. Most of the guys that are effective there, they get their sticks on a lot of pucks. It’s not a coincidence that they’re in the right spots when the puck is there. He’s got courage as well. He’s not the biggest guy but he’s played the same way his whole career and he’s produced. He recovers pucks well as well. That’s also a part of that net front ability."

Arvidsson eagerness to join the Black & Gold also stems from his belief that the team’s core remains in a strong place.

“If you look at the team, great goaltending, really good D corps,” said Arvidsson. “And then the injuries they had last year with Hampus and also with [Charlie] McAvoy at the end there, it slowed them down a little bit, I think, made them not as hard to play against maybe at that time.

“It’s gonna be a fun year. Having a fun team, we’re gonna learn along the way and get experienced but you’ve got to take that in too as a young player and as a veteran too, you’ve learned new things. I’ve learned so much through my years in the league.

“Every year is different, and you’ve got to expect the unexpected.”

One thing Arvidsson does know for sure as he joins the Bruins? His No. 33 will be unavailable.

“I don’t think I’m gonna touch that number in Boston,” Arvidsson said of newly anointed Hall of Famer Zdeno Chara’s sweater. “We’ll see where I end up. I’m gonna ask my daughters for advice too.”