The Boston Bruins are getting a much-needed boost on the injury front as veteran winger Viktor Arvidsson is set to return to the lineup Tuesday night against the Detroit Red Wings. It’s a timely addition for a Bruins team that’s been navigating some key absences.
Arvidsson, who’s in his first season with Boston, has been out of action recently, but he’s good to go in Detroit. Through 20 games this season, he’s chipped in six goals and four assists-solid production for a player still finding his rhythm in a new system.
The Bruins brought him in over the summer in a low-risk move, sending a fifth-round pick to Edmonton in exchange for the 32-year-old forward. Now, with his return, Boston gets back a proven scorer with postseason experience and a knack for timely offense.
But while Arvidsson’s return is a step in the right direction, the Bruins are still without their top offensive weapon. David Pastrnak didn’t make the trip to Detroit and remains sidelined with an undisclosed injury.
He’s been out since November 26, when he left the lineup after a 3-1 win over the Islanders. Pastrnak has been electric this season, leading the team with 11 goals and 18 assists for 29 points.
His absence leaves a major hole in Boston’s attack, and there’s still no clear timeline for his return.
Marco Sturm noted that Pastrnak is the closest among the injured Bruins to returning, but he’s not skating this week, so fans will have to wait a bit longer for the team’s leading scorer to get back on the ice.
Arvidsson’s return, though, is more than just a depth move. This is a player with a track record.
Last season in Edmonton, he put up 15 goals and 12 assists across 67 games and added seven points in 15 playoff contests during the Oilers’ run to the Stanley Cup Final. He’s been through the grind of long postseason runs and knows how to contribute in big moments.
Before his time in Edmonton and Los Angeles, Arvidsson made his name in Nashville, where he was a key piece of the Predators’ 2017 Stanley Cup Final team. During his peak years in Tennessee, he posted back-to-back 61-point seasons and brought speed, scoring touch, and relentless energy to the ice. His journey from a fourth-round pick in 2014 to a reliable top-six winger has been marked by consistency and resilience-traits the Bruins will lean on as they try to stay near the top of the Eastern Conference.
While Pastrnak’s absence looms large, Arvidsson’s return gives the Bruins a versatile, experienced option who can help stabilize the forward group. With a tough stretch of games ahead and the playoff race already heating up, Boston will take all the reinforcements it can get.