Boston Bruins
“I knew already, he isn’t going wherever.”
Don Sweneey and the Bruins had little curiosity in relinquishing helpful picks and prospects in the hunt for leases and different short-term items forward of Friday’s commerce deadline.
However he additionally wasn’t going to embrace a vendor’s market by offloading gamers whose futures in Boston stay murky.
“If we may have improved the way forward for our hockey membership, I’d have checked out it as pragmatically as doable and executed it,” Sweeney stated of transport out gamers on Boston’s roster. “However that being stated, it wasn’t nearly gathering any asset and take away from the material of our group.”
Within the span of only a few brief months, Viktor Arvidsson has woven his manner into stated cloth of this Bruins roster.
Regardless of the 32-year-old’s standing as a pending free agent, Bruins head coach Marco Sturm didn’t fret over Arvidsson’s unsure destiny coming into Friday’s commerce deadline.
”I knew already, he’s not going wherever,” Sturm stated with a smile after Boston’s 3-1 win over Washington on Saturday.
Transport out Arvidsson would have seemingly secured Boston one other second-round choose — given how a lot contending golf equipment worth the ahead’s confirmed scoring punch, skating potential, and veteran mettle.
As interesting because it could be to pile one other choose atop Boston’s already hefty treasure trove of draft capital, Sweeney and the Bruins weren’t seeking to subtract a participant like Arvidsson from this group.
Regardless of having some semblance of management on Friday because of a no-movement clause in his contract, Arvidsson was relieved to make it by way of the deadline with no need to pack his baggage.
”Clearly, I’ve appreciated it right here all 12 months. We’re enjoying good,” Arvidsson stated. “What can I say? I’m simply blissful to be right here and doing every little thing I can for all these guys round me to push for the playoffs.”
The Swedish product validated his worth to this playoff membership as soon as once more on Saturday.
He broke a 1-1 impasse within the third interval in opposition to the Capitals — beating Logan Thompson on a breakaway for his 18th tally of the season.
As soon as seen as a possible reclamation undertaking after a down 12 months with the Oilers, Arvidsson now ranks second on the membership in 5-on-5 targets (13) and third in 5-on-5 factors (25).
“I’m simply blissful as a result of he performs the best manner and he cares,” Sturm stated of Arvidsson. “He’s a type of guys who will get actually mad when issues should not going his manner, however that reveals me that he cares quite a bit.
“He cares about successful. He cares about this group, and he cares about doing every little thing he can to assist this group. And he did it once more as we speak. So I’m simply blissful he’s nonetheless right here, and I’m blissful he’s going to be a giant a part of our massive stretch arising.”
That surge in manufacturing — coupled along with his expiring contract — might need made him a viable commerce chip this month.
However on a retooling Bruins group seeking to forge a path forward as a contender, may Arvidsson be a participant value investing in for the subsequent few seasons?
Even with Boston set to have over $17 million in cap space this summer, re-upping a participant set to show 33 subsequent month does supply some danger — particularly for a smaller ahead who has endured his justifiable share of bumps and bruises through the years.
However a three-year extension could be a prudent transfer for a Bruins group that — regardless of its sunny forecast within the coming years — nonetheless wants some stability (and guaranteed manufacturing) — in its middle-six grouping for 2026-27 and past.
For now, Arvidsson isn’t fretting over contract talks.
“We haven’t received to that time but,” he stated. “I feel I’m simply extra targeted on this group and what we’re going to do that 12 months, and we’ll see what occurs for the long run.”
Sturm would seemingly have few qualms with rolling out the identical second line of Arvidsson, Pavel Zacha, and Casey Mittelstadt subsequent season.
In that trio’s 398 minutes of 5-on-5 reps this season, the Bruins are outscoring groups, 27-12, all whereas having lower than 50 p.c of their faceoffs set within the offensive zone (45.2 p.c).
“He’s received a motor, but in addition, I feel he’s a man who’s pushing the opposite guys,” Sturm stated of Arvidsson and that second line. It’s only a good combine. They play in opposition to prime strains. They shut them down, but in addition discover a method to rating.”
The Bruins might want to allocate area for James Hagens — probably as quickly as late March — as soon as Boston School’s season ends. A spot at left wing on both the primary or third line (spots at the moment occupied by Marat Khusnutdinov and Alex Steeves) is sensible as a touchdown spot for the blue-chip prospect.
Different gifted kids like Dean Letourneau, Will Zellers, and Cooper Simpson are a number of extra years away.
Barring Boston making a splash this offseason with a key free-agent signing or commerce for a dynamic wing, Arvidsson could be the best short-term stopgap for a group ready for its homegrown expertise to start out filling out vacancies within the depth chart.
Even as soon as a few of these kids start to carve out NHL roles, Arvidsson may nonetheless be a stable third-line sparkplug as he ages on a brand new deal.
After all, the Bruins might want to know when to stroll away from an Arvidsson extension if the time period or common annual payout exceeds their consolation zone.
However for now, conserving Arvidsson within the fold past this season makes loads of sense for a Bruins group that might use his pace and scoring punch past this 12 months.
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