The Ottawa Senators need more scoring. So does the rest of the NHL. Every team in the league is turning over stones to find more goals for next season.
That said, the Senators are one of the clubs that could become a potentially attractive destination for free agents looking to find a real shot to contribute. That’s a situation that could appeal to former Boston Bruins forward Viktor Arvidsson.
Arvidsson was a major free-agent signing two offseasons ago for the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers, unfortunately, have become a graveyard for once-solid scoring forwards. Arvidsson flopped in his only year in Edmonton, getting unceremoniously dumped for a fifth-round pick.
The 32-year-old regained his form in Boston, posting a 25-goal season in 69 games. That resurgence will likely make him an interesting free-agent option for just about every team in the league.
And Arvidsson should be one player the Senators should keep a close eye on.
How Arvidsson fits into Senators’ lineup
Off the cuff, you would have to think that Arvidsson would be a top-six forward in Ottawa. He could slide into the second line with Brady Tkachuk and Dylan Cozens. Of course, a lot of that depends on Claude Giroux's return.
With Giroux coming back for at least one more season, it wouldn’t be out of the question to see Arvidsson get a look on the top line. If Arvidsson doesn’t stick on the top unit, there might be room for him on the third line.
But you have to think that bringing Arvidsson in to play on the third line isn’t really that good of an idea. So, it’s either taking over for Giroux in the top six or potentially dropping Giroux to the third line to keep Arvidsson in the top six.
Perhaps we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. The goal would be to bring Arvidsson into the fold and then let the lineup spots sort themselves out in training camp.
How much would it cost to bring in Arvidsson?
The biggest question to consider is the cost to bring in Arvidsson. Given the going rate for 20-goal scorers and his last cap hit, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Swedish forward’s camp want a three or even four-year deal around $5 million AAV.
A good comparable would be Kiefer Sherwood’s five-year, $28.75 million deal in San Jose. Sherwood is 31 and hasn’t actually scored 20+ goals like Arvidsson has. So, it’s safe to assume that signing Arvidsson could cost something like that.
Of course, there may be some reservations about Arvidsson remaining a 20-goal scorer for the duration of a multi-year deal.
But Arvidsson has topped 20+ goals five times and has scored 30+ twice. So, there is a body of work to suggest that he could hold up his end of the bargain.
The price tag may end up becoming too rich for the Senators to pay up this offseason. But Steve Staios would be remiss if he didn’t at least kick the tires on the former fourth-round pick from the 2012 NHL Draft.
Add us as a preferred source on Google