Edmonton Oilers trade Viktor Arvidsson to Boston for a 2027 fifth-round pick

Viktor Arvidsson’s season in Edmonton

Arvidsson was one of the Oilers’ big signings at last year’s free agency frenzy, signing a two-year deal worth $4M AAV. It looked like it could be a great value signing for a guy who scored 30 goals twice and 20 goals another 3 times. In an injury-shortened 18-game season prior he scored 15 points, so the promise was there.

Unfortunately, it did not play out that way. While 15 goals in 67 games isn’t terrible, 27 points was well below the expectation, and the playoffs were even more disappointing with Arvidsson being healthy scratched in seven games. He was supposed to be a scoring winger to play alongside Leon Draisaitl, but struggled to find a consistent place in the lineup.

What this does for the Oilers salary cap situation

Given the Oilers tight cap room after re-signing Evan Bouchard and Trent Frederic, the Oilers needed some cap flexibility if they wanted to make any further moves, whether by trade or free agency. Therefore, getting rid of Arvidsson’s full cap hit is a big move to allow that, much like how they needed to trade Evander Kane to Vancouver for a mid-round pick to clear further room.

Now all that remains to be seen is what the Oilers will do with that extra $4M. Will it be just re-signing players like Corey Perry and Connor Brown? Or do they look to make a bigger splash? Stay tuned!