Nashville Predators All-Star Break Grades: Viktor Arvidsson

As we roll through our midseason grades for the Nashville Predators, let’s cross Viktor Arvidsson off the list. Will he hit a hot streak in the second half?

Viktor Arvidsson has always been an exciting player to watch for the Nashville Predators. A grinder that’s going to leave it all out there on the ice and give you everything he has.

This season he’s been kept fairly cooled off. He’s not having a terrible season by any means, but it hasn’t been on the level that we’re accustomed to seeing him on. Can he change that over the stretch run as the Predators try to get back into a playoff spot?

Arvidsson is very important to this team, and especially so when it comes to pushing the offensive tempo and creating scoring chances. We need more of that over the last 30-plus games remaining on the regular season.

Looking at his current numbers

Arvidsson’s production is way down with just 20 points in 35 games played. Some of that I attribute to him missing a lengthy amount of time, as well as the coaching change and constant line changes.

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A lot has happened around Arvidsson that has contributed to his dip in production. That’s why I’m expecting his offensive efficiency to increase as the Predators get more settled in with their new head coach John Hynes. I’m hoping Arvidsson can find a solid spot in the lineup to build chemistry and get in a groove that I know he’s capable of getting in.

Interestingly enough Arvidsson’s advanced numbers are pretty respectable. His Corsi percentage is over 51 percent and his Offensive Zone Start percentage is over his career average at 57 percent.

This tells me he’s generating offense, and maybe just having some bad puck luck, which is absolutely a real thing. The good players know how to reverse that trend, and I think we’ll see some of that from Arvidsson after the All-Star break.

Then you see the amount of shots he’s getting on goal. He’s only getting around 2.3 shots per game, which is the lowest of his career with the Predators. Last season he averaged a full shot per game more. The team has to figure out a way to get him more involved, and that falls on Arvidsson as well.

With this said, it’s not a surprise that Arvidsson’s production is down. His Expected Goals For, which basically rates the quality of his shots taken, is way below his career average. Is that a product of being mismanaged, or is it because he missed nearly a month of action and needs to get back into a rhythm?

It could be a combination of several things, but time will tell after the All-Star break if Arvidsson is truly taking a dip or if he’s going to get back to his career averages offensively. I’m leaning strong towards us seeing a in increase in production from him, and that will be hugely beneficial to the Predators.

Where should he be graded?

It’s been a grind for Arvidsson this season. His production was pretty high before suffering his injury in late November. Upon returning he had a three-game stretch where he scored a goal in each game. Since then, he’s been held in check with just two goals and no assists.

In fact, Arvidsson shockingly hasn’t recorded an assist since coming back from injury. That’s a span of 13 games. He’s never been a big assist guy, but going 13 games without an assist with an offensive skill player like he is can’t continue to happen.

I remain confident that Arvidsson is going to finish out the season strong and get up to around 45 to 50 points. But grading him purely on the games he’s played and the season he’s had up to this point, it leaves a lot to be desired from a player we have high expectations for.

His grade falls in the middle for me and I give him somewhat of a pass for missing so much time due to injury. And let’s not forget the cheapness and dirtiness of the hit he took from

Robert Bortuzzo

of the Blues, which I still cringe with anger when I see it:

The Predators need their big guys to step up after the All-Star break. Arvidsson is one of those players included in that group. The way this guy always shows up and gives every ounce of energy, I won’t be surprised at all if we see a second half surge from one of our favorite Predators.