LA Kings‘ general manager Rob Blake revealed the biggest mystery of the postseason on Monday – Viktor Arvidsson‘s absence. The Swedish forward was given a “good chance” to play in Game 1, but he never suited up.
Later in the series, the Kings officially ruled him out for the remainder of the first round.
Arvidsson likely would have missed the entire postseason had the Kings advanced to the second round. The 29-year-old has a herniated disc and is headed for surgery on Tuesday.
Per The Athletic‘s Lisa Dillman, the recovery timeline is three to five months, with the latter landing around the start of the 2022-2023 regular season.
After being acquired last offseason from the Nashville Predators, Arvidsson tallied 20 goals and 29 assists in 66 games. It was his first 20-goal season since 2018-19.
Arvidsson found a home on the Kings’ second line playing alongside Phillip Danault and Trevor Moore, forming the MAD line (or whichever acronym you prefer). The trio accounted for nearly 25 percent of the team’s point production in the 2021-22 season.
The Kings certainly missed having Arvidsson’s shot in the postseason, as they were outscored 17-27 in the seven-game series with the Oilers.
The Skelleftea, Sweden native has two years left on his contract before becoming an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2023-24 season.
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