One dream, one realistic, and one bargain player the Bruins must target in NHL free agency

Reasonable Free Agent: Viktor Arvidsson, F/Los Angeles Kings

The one downside with Viktor Arvidsson is that he’s coming off of an injury-riddled season, so, therefore, he’s not for everyone. But the Bruins are an elite team, so someone like Arvidsson would make a great supplement, even if he saw limited ice time, as was the case last season. 

He’s not someone worth taking over Anthony Mantha, but if Mantha were to sign elsewhere or return to the Vegas Golden Knights, Arvidsson would be a solid consolation. The last time he was healthy for an entire season came in 2022-23, and Arvidsson enjoyed a spectacular year for the Los Angeles Kings, scoring 26 goals and snagging another 33 assists, which was good for 59 points. 

He made a living on the top-six, and he was also good at helping the Kings create more chances at even strength with the puck, as his 52.6 Corsi For percentage tells us, despite starting just 48.0 percent of all draws in the offensive zone. 

We don’t know if Arvidsson would have repeated that success this past season, but he had six goals and 15 points in 18 games with 59 shots on goals, so he was once again more than effective with the puck. Arvidsson also had 10 points in his previous 11 playoff games, and he had 13 takeaways in those contests. 

Like quite a few players, Arvidsson knows how to up his game when the stakes are at their highest, and that trait is something the Bruins can use even more.