The Los Angeles Kings have acquired forward Viktor Arvidsson in a trade with the Nashville Predators. Now officially announced, the return is a 2021 second and 2022 third-round draft pick from the Kings.
🚨TRADE ALERT 🚨 The LA Kings have acquired forward Viktor Arvidsson from the Nashville Predators in exchange for their second-round selection in the 2021 NHL Draft and third-round selection in the 2022 NHL Draft.
Player Moves flown by @FlyONT ✈️
— LA Kings (@LAKings) July 1, 2021
Viktor Arvidsson Traded to Los Angeles Kings
The trade appears to signal two things: the Kings are closing out their rebuild, and the Predators are starting theirs. Arvidsson was one of the most affordable contracts on Nashville’s roster, coming in at $4.25M for the next three seasons. Last season, Arvidsson scored 10 goals, 15 assists, and 25 points in 50 games with the Predators. Over his seven-year career, Arvidsson has been a fairly consistent player, scoring 127 goals and 112 assists for 239 points in 385 games. He was originally drafted in the fourth round, 122nd overall in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.
What This Means for Each Team
The Kings have secured a solid top-six winger in Arvidsson. He’ll likely play on the wing of either Quinton Byfield or Anze Kopitar to start, providing a scoring touch to both centers’ games. This move signals that the Kings believe they’re reaching the end of their rebuild. Netting a scoring winger like Arvidsson indicates that they’ll try to make a run for the playoffs in the 2021-22 season. Whether they have what it takes remains to be seen, but with the emergence of their outstanding prospect pool, it seems like a smart move.
The Predators, on the other hand, appear to be heading in a very different direction. Once a perennial contender, the team now appears to be shedding salary for what looks to be a long rebuild. It’s unclear what general manager David Poile’s plans are moving forward, but this indicates that the Predators are open to trading some of their scoring depth to get their rebuild underway.
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