It looked like the Detroit Red Wings were going to end their Stanley Cup Playoff drought this past season. However, they struggled down the stretch and were passed by the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators for the final two Eastern Conference wild-card spots.
That is going to make for another long offseason for fans, but more importantly, for general manager Steve Yzerman. It certainly feels like this is a make-or-break offseason for Yzerman, as patience is wearing thin in the Motor City. To compound matters, Detroit has the Dylan Larkin trade request hanging over them.
However, Yzerman has been adding to the roster for the 2026-27 season, and when free agency opened, he signed forward Viktor Arvidsson to a two-year contract that carries an AAV of $5 million. Given the production he had this past season with the Bruins, this is a good deal. Harman Dayal of The Athletic listed the contract as one of the nine best contracts signed so far in free agency.
Red Wings’ signing of Viktor Arvidsson is listed as one of the best contracts this summer so far
One need that Yzerman needed to address this offseason was finding some even-strength scoring. Arvidsson was one of the top free agents available who could fill that need.
Acquired from the Edmonton Oilers last summer by Boston general manager Don Sweeney, Arvidsson solidified the Bruins’ second line with Casey Mittlestadt and Pavel Zacha by scoring 25 goals. According to Dayal, Arvidsson scored 3.02 points per 60 at five-on-five, which would be welcomed production by Detroit.
What made his production even more impressive in Boston was that he never played with David Pastrnak during the season. He had 29 assists to go along with his 25 goals in 69 games. The only drawback for the 33-year-old is that he has been injury-prone the last couple of years, which caused him to miss 13 regular-season games and two in the playoffs against the Buffalo Sabres in the first round.
Before free agency began, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the Bruins had offered Arvidsson a contract with an AAV of $5 million. However, after Boston acquired JJ Peterka from the Utah Mammoth, Arvidsson apparently saw the writing on the wall and left.
Boston could have fit him under their cap, but Boston’s loss is going to be Detroit’s gain. Arvidsson admitted that getting the chance to play for Todd McLellan, whom he played under with the Los Angeles Kings, was too good to pass up. This could end up being a move that Detroit gets tremendous value from over the next two seasons.
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