It might have come a little late, but, at long last, the Detroit Red Wings made hay out of free agency.
Rather than sign overperforming veterans to long-term deals like they have in the past, the Red Wings were efficient, signing Viktor Arvidsson and Daniil Tarasov to short-term deals before trading for Keegan Kolesar of the Vegas Golden Knights. It's a good thing the Red Wings chose to move on from all of their UFAs, as well; only Patrick Kane has been signed among the crop of Red Wings free agents.
The marquee signing, of course, is Viktor Arvidsson, who scored 25 goals and 54 points in 69 games with the Boston Bruins last season. He'll likely be one of the many players utilized to replace Kane's scoring in the aggregate.
But what can Arvidsson bring to the table? And - more importantly - what should Red Wings fans expect from the newest Swede on the squad?
What Viktor Arvidsson can do for the Red Wings
Viktor Arvidsson is an even-strength scoring machine. 171 of his 219 career goals have come at even-strength, with 21 of his 25 last season adding to that feat. For the Red WIngs, a team in desperate need of some even-strength scoring, Arvidsson is a huge addition.
He'll likely slot in at the team's middle-six, either filling in on the second line if Alex DeBrincat is moved up or playing support on the third line with ample time on the power play. While a left wing by trade, the team could always slot him on Kane's old spot, allowing him to develop some chemistry with DeBrincat.
Best of all, Arvidsson was a die hard Red Wings fan growing up. "I's really exciting," Arvidsson said to the media after his signing. "Growing up and watching the Red Wings and Avalanche go at it, and all those players that I grew up watching like...(Henrik) Zetterberg and (Pavel) Datsyuk, and (Steve) Yzerman, and Kris Draper, all those guys. Then talking to Drapes last night, I was almost like 'I played as you on video games'."
What to look out for with Arvidsson
When healthy, Arvidsson is a fantastic middle-six threat, able to generate offense with ease. The biggest question, however, is around his health. Arvidsson hasn't played a full NHL season at any point in his NHL career. Last season, he played just 69 games. In the 2022-23 season, he missed nearly the entire year with the Los Angeles Kings, playing just 18 games.
The biggest key with Arvidsson will be figuring out how the team copes without him in the lineup. He should be viewed pimarily as a complementary piece, not a singular source of offense. If the team can't register goals without him in the lineup, they'll be in trouble.
If they can effectively work within Arvidsson's parameters, though, they've secured a highly-competitive piece of depth scoring in their lineup.
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