For now, Dylan Larkin remains a Red Wing. In the meantime, they've imported a new No. 71.
Detroit has reportedly agreed to a two-year, $10 million deal with veteran winger Viktor Arvidsson, who scored 25 goals in 69 games for the Bruins last season while wearing Larkin's number.
That goal-scoring pace would have ranked third on the Red Wings behind Alex DeBrincat and Larkin.
Just as importantly to the Red Wings, Arvidsson had 18 five-on-five goals, an area in which Steve Yzerman wants to improve Detroit's roster this offseason. That would have ranked first on the Wings, who finished third-to-last in the NHL in five-on-five goals.
Are these members of the Detroit Red Wings on the hot seat? pic.twitter.com/ebhEbg82fz
— 97.1 The Ticket: (@971theticketxyt) June 30, 2026
Arvidsson played just 14:36 per game last season, but made the most of his ice time. He quietly finished third in the NHL in five-on-five points per 60 minutes, behind Nikita Kucherov and Nathan MacKinnon. And he finished 13th in five-on-five goals per 60.
That can partly be explained by a shooting percentage that was a healthy clip above his career mark and will likely come back down next season. With similar ice time the year prior with the Oilers, Arvidsson scored just 15 goals and 27 points in 67 games when his puck luck swung the other way.
His reality with the Red Wings will lie somewhere in the middle.
Arvidsson is a 12-year vet with six 20-goal seasons to his name. He's a finisher more than a creator and should fit somewhere in Detroit's middle-six.
