Top six Oilers forward called out for having one of worst years of his career
The Edmonton Oilers signed Victor Arvidsson this season with the hopes he could be a steady offensive presence in the top six, but that hasn't been the case.
Arvidsson missed significant time this season with an undisclosed injury, a problem that's plagued him throughout his career. Playing through injury may be affecting his game, but he always seems to be injured.
Oilers analyst calls out Victor Arvidsson for career low season
Victor Arvidsson has shown flashes of what was expected when the Oilers signed him, but his overall game hasn't been anywhere near what's needed.
OilersNation analyst Jason Gregor did a deep dive on his analytics, and found that Arvidsson isn't just scoring less - he's playing worse across the board.
- Jason Gregor
Signed to a two year, $8M contract this offseason, Arvidsson's scoring rate has dropped to the 7th lowest year of his career with only 7 goals and 18 points in 40 games. This is a player who previously scored 34 goals in 54 games, so the Oilers expected more when paired with Leon Draisaitl.
What's even more concerning is his play on the defensive side of the puck and his overall physicality. His giveaway and takeaway numbers have plummeted, as well as hits and penalties drawn. Along with the decline in scoring, as Gregor said, it's a bad combination for a top 6 playoff forward.
Are injuries still impeding forward Victor Arvidsson?
Arvidsson had a slow start to the season before he left to miss over a month with an undisclosed injury. When he returned, https://www.oilersdaily.com/nhl-team/edmonton-oilers/oilers-viktor-arvidsson-struggling-after-sustaining-another-minor-injury.
Since then, Arvidsson's play has taken another noticeable dive. It's possible that he's again playing through an injury, or re-aggravated a previous problem. Arvidsson only played 18 games last season, so he's still may not exactly be in mid-year form.
What it comes down to though, is the Oilers need more from their top six forward. His scoring needs to improve, but play away from the puck is more important to compliment the Oilers superstars.
Coming back from playing with Team Sweden at the 4 Nations Faceoff, the Oilers will be looking for a lot better play from Victor Arvidsson.
