Despite losing to Florida in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final, the Edmonton Oilers didn’t miss a beat on the first day of free agency.
The Oilers signed veteran forwards Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner, kept Cup final standout Mattias Janmark and gave forwards Corey Perry and Connor Brown one-year extensions among nearly a dozen moves made Monday.
The 31-year-old Arvidsson, who was signed to a two-year, $8-million US contract, spent the last three seasons with the Los Angeles Kings where he logged 52 goals and 71 assists in 161 games. The five-foot-10, 185-pound right-winger had a goal and nine assists in a combined 11 playoff games against the Oilers this season and in 2023.
Arvidsson says Edmonton defenceman Mattias Ekholm — a fellow Swede — lobbied him hard to become an Oiler.
“He probably didn’t want to play against me again,” Arvidsson joked on a media conference call Monday.
“I had a few teams [interested], but I’ve known Ekky for a long time. Our families know each other well. He convinced me pretty early and I think that was a big part of it, too.
“It’s going to be fun and exciting to have some snow again.”
Arvidsson compiled 179 goals and 183 assists in 546 career NHL games, and 13 goals and 24 assists in 72 career playoff games.
But he played only 18 regular season games for the Kings in 2023-24 because of a back injury that he says he has now recovered from.
Arvidsson had three assists in five playoff games against Edmonton in the first round this year.
“The team itself is built really well,” Arvidsson said. “I feel like they were really close this year and I hope I can help the team move even further.”
Returning stars and a second Skinner
The Oilers re-signed Perry for $1.4 million and Brown for $1 million, while inking 32-year-old Skinner to a one-year deal worth $3 million.
Perry signed with the Oilers on Jan. 22 and had eight goals and five assists in 38 regular-season games. He played his career 1,300th game March 28 against the Kings and recorded his 900th career point March 16 against Colorado.
In his fourth trip to a Stanley Cup final in five years, the 39-year-old had a goal and a pair of assists in 19 playoff games in which he averaged 10 minutes 45 seconds ice time per game. Perry will…
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