The Viktor Arvidssonsituation is going to become a really interesting one for the Bruins ahead of the March 6 trade deadline around the NHL.
The 32-year-old officially surpassed all of his season totals for last season by notching a pair of goals in Boston’s 4-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets at TD Garden on Thursday night in the first game back from the Winter Olympics break. Arvidsson now has 16 goals and 30 points on the season, looks like a lock to be a 20-goal scorer for this group and is on pace for 23 goals and 42 points, which would be decent production for the second-line winger.
The first goal was Arvidsson simply throwing a puck on the net from long distance that caught a deflected Columbus stick on its way to the back of the net, and the second score was the empty netter that clinched the game for Boston in the final minutes.
Viktor Arvidsson with the #NHLBruins equalizer as he lets it rip from right outside of the right circle (got a little help from number 21 on Columbus’s side). We’ve got a 1-1 game at TD as the first period winds down. pic.twitter.com/7hcf4H4c6q— Kasey Hudson (@TheSportsKase) February 27, 2026
Arvidsson now has seven goals and 11 points in his last 15 games as he was red-hot heading into the Olympic break, and it looks like that is going to continue coming out of the winter adjournment as well. It’s exactly why Marco Sturmadvocated for the Bruins trading for Arvidsson last summer, as coach and player worked together in Los Angeles, and Sturm knew exactly the kind of sparkplug, veteran impact that the Swedish winger could provide for a Bruins team that was looking a little low on offense.
"I’m gonna tell you why [he’s playing better now]…it’s because he just was not healthy. He was not 100% [earlier in the season]. He came back and he took longer than he thought, and we thought [for him to get to full strength],” said Sturm. “I know him and it was not the [Arvidsson] that I know [when he was playing earlier in the season].
“Before he got hurt, if you remember, in the Montreal game he was outstanding, and that's exactly how he plays right now again. So this is the [Arvidsson we know] and why we like him. That's why we wanted to get him this summer. He does so much for [himself] and for his linemates.”
The question now, as the trade deadline approaches, is what the Bruins should do with a player like Arvidsson operating in the last year of his contract. The veteran 32-year-old winger would undoubtedly fetch some value on the trade market, a second-rounder perhaps or even a first-round pick if a contending team grew desperate to round out more scoring depth among their forward group.
Jonas Karpisalo and Viktor Arvidsson’s value ⬇️👇🏽#NHL #BRUINS #NHLBRUINSpic.twitter.com/80cZPDV61M— Jesse 🇩🇴 A.K.A “Dominican-PuckHead” (@Jessemedscience) February 27, 2026
Arvidsson’s relative trade value has to be weighed against the impact he brings to the Black and Gold with the fearless, energetic way he plays, and his contributions to a second line of Arvidsson, Casey Mittelstadt and Pavel Zacha that has been way, way better than most puckhead prognosticators gave them credit for prior to the season. Arvidsson has been a key veteran guy amongst a group of Bruins players that have overachieved, and understandably believe that standing pat, or adding improvements, at the NHL trade deadline is what Boston should be doing as opposed to last season’s deadline fire sale.
“It kind of feels polar opposite [to last season] to be honest,” admitted Morgan Geekie, who scored on a power play one-timer in the win for his 33rd goal of the season. “I think this group's done a great job of kind of putting ourselves in the position to stand pat or add guys, whatever they see fit. "It's a results-driven business, and I think for us, it's just kind of a testament to what we've done all year and just to continue to build. You can kind of feel it every game we know we give ourselves a chance to win, regardless of who we're playing. It's a lot more fun, for sure."
Interestingly enough Don Sweeney was on NESN during Thursday night’s broadcast and was forecasting that the Bruins are going to be more conservative at the NHL trade deadline than they’ve been for most of the past 10 years.
Don Sweeney tells NESN the Bruins will be a little more cautious than the last 10 years at the deadline. “We’re gonna explore both sides of the fence.”— Evan Marinofsky (@EvanMarinofsky) February 26, 2026
That flies in the face of their efforts to land D-man Rasmus Andersson last month in a trade offer that reportedly included a first-round pick, Mason Lohrei and Matt Poitras, but it makes sense given the delicate stage that Boston is in right now in terms of the retooling process.
A major misstep in trading away prospects or first-round picks, or a miscalculation for an overpayment with a long-term contract, could set the B’s back from a lot of the good work that Sweeney and Co. have done over the last year, removing themselves from last season’s dumpster fire of a Bruins season.
Instead, the B’s general manager indicated the Black and Gold could dabble as both sellers and buyers at the trade deadline, with players like Arvidsson, Mittelstadt, Andrew Peeke and Joonas Korpisaloperhaps viewed as trade offer. Certainly, the belief around the league is that the Bruins are looking to add at both the defense and forward position for a team in clear and present playoff position, but that there will only be selected assets made available to do those deals.
Where does that leave a guy like Arvidsson, who has been productive and is very clearly a part of this overachieving team’s DNA?
The veteran winger is exactly the kind of gritty, spirited veteran player that is good to have around young up-and-coming players, and would be a massive void if he was removed from this season’s group. The Bruins should tread carefully with dealing a player like Arvidsson and should even explore if a reasonable contract extension could be worked for a 2–3-year deal that could eventually slot him into a third-line support role.
It's been a “feel-good” season for the Black and Gold where they have done so many things right. Sticking the landing at the NHL trade deadline with assets like Arvidsson is essential if the B’s want to finish up strong and make a really nice development step by getting this group into this season’s Stanley Cup playoffs.
