The Los Angeles Kings announced that forward Viktor Arvidsson was activated from long-term injured reserve on Thursday, making him immediately eligible to return to their lineup.
Arvidsson has missed the entire season to date with a back injury. The 30-year-old is a dangerous weapon for LA when healthy, scoring 26 goals and 59 points in 77 games in 2022-23.
When the Kings traded for the player in 2021, they entrusted him with adding a cutting edge to a then punchless top-six that relied too heavily on veteran Anze Kopitar. The Swede has been up to the task, cashing in with 46 goals and 108 points over 143 games on the West Coast.
The Kings have missed the veteran winger since his October surgery shelved him long-term, and their gradual descent down the Pacific Division standings led GM Rob Blake to dismiss coach Todd McLellan over the All-Star break.
Arvidsson’s return to fitness will be a boon for the Kings on the ice but necessitated some gymnastics on the books. His activation coincided with trips to the LTIR for bottom-six forwards Carl Grundstrom and Blake Lizotte; both have suffered lower-body ailments over the past month.
The former Nashville Predators standout is eligible to return against the New Jersey Devils tonight at 7 pm when Los Angeles tries to rinse off a rotten start to their Eastern road trip; the Sabres hammered the Kings 7-0 in Tuesday’s game.
The Kings will hope with Arvidsson back at 100%, they get more of a “new coach boost” from interim bench boss Jim Hiller in New Jersey than they did against the Sabres.
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