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The post Red Wings Uncertainty Made No Impact on Arvidsson’s Decision appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.
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IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectIMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Players weigh an awful lot when determining which club to join as an unrestricted free agent, but Viktor Arvidsson insists that the elephant in the room wasn’t weighing on his mind when he was choosing to sign with the Detroit Red Wings.
That Red Wings captain, Dylan Larkin, is looking to head out the door. He has requested that Detroit GM Steve Yzerman trade him.
The news didn’t impact Arvidsson’s decision to come through the door at all.
“No, I haven’t really put any thought into that or read too much about it,” Arvidsson said. “So, I was focused on myself and what I’m going to bring to the team, and that’s about it.”
In a sense, that’s got to be a bit of relief for Red Wings fans. Entering the July 1 UFA period, there was certainly concern about how the uncertainty of the future of the team might impact players determining where they were going to play next.
As far as Arvidsson was concerned, he was viewing Detroit as a desired destination. The veteran Swedish forward agreed to terms on a two-year deal with an AAV of $5 million.
“It was kind of an easy decision, and I’m happy to be a Red Wing,” Arvidsson said. “It’s going to be fun.”
Red Wings Getting Much-Needed Five-on-Five Scoring From Veteran Swede
Arvidsson is a strong skater and tenacious puck hound. His style is unlike a lot of European players in that he plays a north-south game. That’s the type of hockey Yzerman prefers.
“I’m going to bring a competitive aspect of the game and try to be a role model for the younger guys,” Arvidsson said. “Just to bring some leadership and try to just try to play hard and put my best in front and just go from there.”
Another aspect of Arvidsson’s brand is that he delivers the goods at even strength. He’s always rated among the NHL’s best five-on-five producers. Last season saw Detroit rank 30th in the NHL in five-on-five goals.
In 2025-26, Arvidsson led the Boston Bruins in five-on-five goals (1.31) and points (3.06) per 60 minutes. For his NHL career, he’s averaged 0.97 goals and 2.02 points per 60 minutes at five-on-five.
By comparison, Alex DeBrincat, Detroit’s leading five-on-five scorer, averaged 0.89 goals and 2.36 points per 60 minutes last season. His career five-on-five totals are 0.94 goals.
“I think I’ve always been good five-on-five and scored and created offense five-on-five, and defensively I’ve been good,” Arvidsson said. “I just think I compete hard for pucks and stuff like that. So I think that’s a big part of my game.”
The post Red Wings Uncertainty Made No Impact on Arvidsson’s Decision appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.
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