Edmonton Oilers top forward is not who he used to be and is called out about it
Photo credit: The Hockey Writers
The Edmonton Oilers signed Victor Arvidsson this offseason and were hoping his offensive skills would help their top six.
But the injuries and inconsistent play have kept him from meeting expectations since the beginning of the season.
Viktor Arvidsson missed significant time early in the season with an undisclosed injury which is a recurring issue during his career.
Even when on the ice, his performance has been underwhelming and it's possibly due to lingering health issues.
OilersNation analyst Jason Gregor recently talked about Arvidsson's decline by noting that his struggles go beyond just scoring.
"His production is down. He isn't as physical as he's been previously. He's giving the puck away at the highest rate of his career, he's creating the fewest takeaways and he's barely drawing any penalties. That's a bad combination.
- Jason Gregor
- Jason Gregor
While he has shown occasional flashes of his former self, his overall game has deteriorated since Viktor Arvidsson has only 7 goals and 18 points in 40 games.
This is a big contrast to his 34-goal season in 54 games and his current production falls short, even if he is paired with Leon Draisaitl.
Gregor's analysis revealed deeper issues since Arvidsson is giving the puck away at the highest rate of his career and is creating fewer takeaways and drawing almost no penalties.
His physicality has also declined, with lower hit counts and this combination of reduced offensive output and poor play away from the puck is troubling for a forward expected to contribute in playoff situations.
After returning from a month-long injury absence, Arvidsson's play dipped again and is raising concerns about whether he's still having trouble with injury issues.
Having played just 18 games last season, he may still be regaining his form, but the Oilers need immediate help.
Following his participation with Team Sweden at the 4 Nations Face-Off, the Oilers are hoping Arvidsson can regain his form and contribute meaningfully in the push for the playoffs.
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