Nashville Predators: Midseason Grades for the Young Guns

Viktor Arvidsson: 24 years old

I’d estimate that for every three Nashville Predators fans you ask, at least one’s favorite player is Viktor Arvidsson. It’s not hard to see why. Last season, the zippy Swede broke out with a whopping 61 points, matched only by Ryan Johansen. Since then, he’s tallied 13 goals, 14 assists, and proposed to someone else’s girlfriend.

Here’s a look at his five-on-five possession numbers:

Don’t shoot the messenger, but those aren’t very good numbers. He’s straight down the middle for Fenwick at 49.40%. This means that opponents are generating slightly more unblocked shot attempts than the Predators when Arvidsson is on the ice.

The third column is where things get worrying. Opponents generate overwhelmingly more high-danger scoring chances than the Predators with Arvidsson skating. With Arvy enjoying the majority of his faceoffs in the offensive zone, it’s a glaring question mark. Obviously, there are four other skaters out with Arvidsson at any given time, but the low high-danger percentage raises concerns over his ability to backcheck effectively.

Viktor Arvidsson could certainly improve this season, so it’s not a full condemnation. However, this season is definitely making his $4.25m price tag look awfully expensive.

Midseason grade: B-