As the Olympics wrap-up and the NHL roster freeze comes to an end this coming Sunday at 11:59 PM EST, general managers will have about a week and a half until the trade deadline on March 6. The Boston Bruins are leaning towards buyer status coming out of the Olympic break, with rumors of the team eyeing a top-4 defenseman or a top-line center, but they will have four games between February 26 and the trade deadline to determine where they stand.Â
A name that has been floating around the rumor mill recently is Viktor Arvidsson. Arvidsson is the only Bruins forward in the current lineup who is not signed for next season. He has been a surprise in the Bruins lineup, with 14 goals and 14 assists in 45 games; he has already topped his point total from last season, and has found a home on the second line with Casey Mittlestadt and Pavel Zacha. Would it be benefit the Bruins to trade him, or should they explore other options for a potential future with the team?
Potential Trade
If the Bruins decide to move Arvidsson at the trade deadline, it could negatively affect locker room morale, it will break up one of the most productive lines this season, and it won’t provide any future salary cap relief, as his contract is up at the end of this season. On the surface, it feels like the negatives of dealing with him outweigh the positives. However, there are also advantages to sending him out at the deadline.
The Bruins dealt a fifth-round draft pick in 2027 to the Edmonton Oilers over the summer to receive Arvidsson. His value right now is much higher than a fifth-round draft pick, and Don Sweeney could essentially upgrade that fifth-round draft pick that he spent to a second-round pick or more based on how desperate a contending team needs Arvidsson to fill a role in their lineup. This all depends on whether Sweeney believes the Bruins can make a run in the playoffs this season or if he thinks a future draft pick is worth a hit to morale and the team development they have gone through this season.
The Bruins could also decide to add Arvidsson to a package deal to get the upgrade at top-line center or right-side defense that they are looking for. This would be the best way to move on from him and receive value back. The problem is, any team selling a top-4 defenseman or a top-line center is not looking to add an aging rental forward in a deal. They are looking for young players, players with term on their contract, and draft picks. Arvidsson is none of these, so while it would be the best way for the Bruins to move on from him, it is the least realistic.
Other Avenues
Don Sweeney’s recent history shows he is generous with handing out contract extensions. As previously stated, Arvidsson is the only Bruins forward in the lineup not signed for next season, but he has clearly earned a chance to sign a one-year or another short-term extension with the team. He has far and away exceeded expectations, is tied for fourth on the team with 14 goals, Marco Sturm is high on him, and the Bruins' second line is one you can count on, especially on home ice.
With how the Bruins are set up right now, where nearly the whole team is coming back next season, even a short-term extension does not seem practical. This is unfortunate, as he has such a natural chemistry with Mittlestadt and Zacha. Keeping him around could also help develop younger players, as shown recently with the success Fraser Minten had centering Middlestadt and Arvidsson while the Bruins were dealing with injuries. Arvidsson deserves an extension, but it is just not in the cards.
If the Bruins let Arvidsson play out the rest of his contract and lose him to free agency, it may be hard to swallow. Sweeney and the Bruins got a player coming in with no real expectations, an aging forward in a career slump, for a measly fifth-round pick, and he surpassed what anyone believed he could do for this team. Arvidsson has been a key part in contributing to the secondary scoring the Bruins needed coming into this season. To let his contract expire and end up with nothing in return would not be a preferred outcome to end his time with the Bruins.