Ryan Sikes 
Photo Credit: NHL.com
It’s been an offseason of adjustment for Viktor Arvidsson, but the LA Kings’ forward is excited to make his debut at his new home rink.
At the halfway mark in training camp, new LA Kings‘ forward Viktor Arvidsson is settling into playing on the team’s top line. The 28-year-old was acquired in July in exchange for two draft picks, and he’s looking to prove that he’s still capable of scoring 30 goals in a season.
Of course, he has one of the best facilitators in the National Hockey League in Anze Kopitar, centering his line. Arvidsson also has the experience of former LA Kings’ captain Dustin Brown, who led the team in goals (17) last season.
Brown and Kopitar have been playing together for the better part of a decade, and the Swedish forward is beginning to figure out where to position himself on the ice to be successful.
“I feel more and more comfortable,” Arvidsson said on Monday. “Of course, it’s a learning process, and they obviously know where they have each other on the ice and stuff. I try to look at video and try to learn my way to get in the best spots to be available.”
Arvidsson made his preseason debut against the Golden Knights last Friday. He had an early opportunity out of the gates on a breakaway, but Vegas netminder Laurent Brossoit denied him. It was Dustin Brown who fed his new linemate from mid-ice, and Arvidsson displayed his speed. All that was missing was lighting the lamp.
First touch as an @LAKings, Arvidsson gets denied on a breakaway. pic.twitter.com/leCa37HGq9
— Hockey Royalty (@Hockey_Royalty) October 2, 2021
However, he figures to be in line for plenty of scoring opportunities this season, playing alongside the two pillars of the Kings’ organization. Early on, though, he’s been trying to find a happy medium of gelling with his new linemates while also playing to his strengths.
“No, I think it’s good. I try to play my game also like – I came here for a reason,” the former Nashville Predator noted. “And I try to do what I’m good at, and then just to see where it goes. [I] try to talk to them and see what they see and if they want to say something to me, too. So, like I said, it’s a learning process, and we got to talk to each other and learn from each other.”
The Kings have played three preseason games thus far, none of which have been at STAPLES Center. Arvidsson has played seven career games at LA’s home arena, and on Tuesday, he will play there for the first time as a member of the Los Angeles Kings.
“It’s gonna be fun,” he said on making his STAPLES Center debut.” I only played one game so far in the preseason, so I can’t wait for the next one and get into it even more.”
With three games remaining before the regular season, Arvidsson still has some fine-tuning to do before he’s ready for the bright lights of Los Angeles. But he already likes head coach Todd McLellan’s fast-paced, up-tempo style of play with the Kings.
“It’s aggressive, and I like that,” Arvidsson concluded. “I like to be on the forecheck and hunt pucks and stuff. There’s still some areas where I’m trying to learn, and I’m trying to kind of figure out stuff, so it’s gonna come. And we still have three more games in the preseason to get on point with those, but I feel really comfortable, and it’s gonna be great.”