Mattias Ekholm played a huge role in recruiting Viktor Arvidsson to the Edmonton Oilers

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Finnegan Frost
September 27, 2024 (10:54)

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The Edmonton Oilers made some huge splashes over the NHL offseason, and in this case, they have Mattis Ekholm to thank for it.

As per the NHL, Viktor Arvidsson already envisioned the many ways he could fit with the Oilers before signing a two-year, $4 million AAV contract on July 1 to bring his offensive presence to Edmonton's top-six forwards.

The advice of his Swedish countryman helped guide the 31-year-old down the road of signing on the dotted line to come to Oil Country - a landing spot he and his family knew entering unrestricted free agency would be an ideal scenario both in terms of community and Stanley Cup championship potential.

«First of all, I'm happy to be an Oiler and it's going to be really fun,» Arvidsson said via video call «I think the group is great and they have something really great going for them here.

«The process was pretty straightforward. I had a few teams [interested], but I've known Ekky for a long time and our families know each other well. He convinced me pretty early and I think that was a big part of it too, so I'm happy and our family is really happy to join the team.»

During a recent interview, Ekholm spoke to the media as to why Edmonton has been attracting so much high end talent as of late.

"Yeah, I mean, that usually happens with success. Guys wanna have success. We looked at what we needed to improve from last year and I think we filled a lot of those holes, and those two guys are certainly going to help us with that."

It's nice to see Edmonton becoming one of the premier hockey destination for elite hockey players. Players like Mattias Ekholm serve a key role on the ice, but also help to attract new talent on the team.

source: NHL
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