Thank you, Viktor Arvidsson.
Thank you for the overtime goals.
Thank you for the toothless grins, the “Arvi Hustle,” the jump-screens, the “RV” memes.
Thank you for taking over Yannick Weber’s Predators Foundation pet club.
Thank you for playing your heart out in gold.
Arvidsson was a true home-grown Predator. Drafted in the fourth round in 2014, Arvidsson spent two seasons with the Milwaukee Admirals, playing in 87 games. He was an occasional call-up in 2014-2015, but his coming-of-age with the Predators came in 2015-2016. His overtime goal against the Sharks in 2016 sent Bridgestone Arena into a frenzy:
I fell in love with Arvidsson back in 2016, and he became one of my favorite players and soon became a fan-favorite. He gutted it out on every play, taking hits and crosschecks in order to rush the net.
He performed well in the 2017 Stanley Cup run, potting this gem of a breakaway against Matt Murray:
Arvidsson’s 2017-2018 season was the best of his career. He posted 29 goals and 32 assists in 78 games, giving many Predators fans reason to believe that he could become a perennial 30-goal scorer for Nashville.
The next few seasons weren’t that kind to “Arvi.” His style of play resulted in more than a few injuries, including a notable cross check from Robert Bortuzzo that sidelined him for over two months. #33 isn’t the player he was a few seasons ago. Arvidsson can still score, but that exciting and dynamic player from 2016 doesn’t seem to be on the ice too often. I’m struggling to think of any big plays from this last season.
There was some smoke earlier in the week about trading Arvidsson, and now we have information on the trade.
#Preds General Manager David Poile announced today that the team has acquired Los Angeles’ second-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft and Los Angeles’ third-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft from the Los Angeles Kings for Viktor Arvidsson.https://t.co/s4GYJiAQx1
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) July 1, 2021
We wish Viktor Arvidsson the best of luck in Los Angeles. It will be weird seeing “RV” in black and white…for his Predators career, Arvidsson embodied the “Predators Way” and he will be missed in Nashville.
Thank you, #33.