The Los Angeles Kings were set to have one of the deepest forward groups in all of hockey this season, and in many ways still do, but the loss of Viktor Arvidsson just before the season started put a big dent into that depth.
However, after nearly five months on the shelf, Arvidsson is set to return imminently, giving the Kings a massive boost at a crucial time of the season.
According to Rob Blake in his Monday press conference, Arvidsson is expected to rejoin the team on their road trip starting Feb. 13.
"Hopefully, during the road trip," said Blake when asked about Arvidsson's return. "I think he will participate in practice starting Thursday when we return. So, it will be a matter of getting up to speed. Right now, everything has looked and progressed the way we had hoped."
In case anyone has forgotten, when healthy, Arvidsson has scored at around a 60-65-point pace during his two seasons in Los Angeles and was a key component of the Kings' fantastic power play last season.
If he can hit the ground running, and that's a big if, the Kings are adding a true difference-maker down the stretch.
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Line Flexibility:
Outside of his individual contributions, adding Arvidsson back into the mix gives the Kings a lot of flexibility with their lines.
Recently, the Kings have been locked into their current top six and have struggled to make a meaningful change to get their bottom six going.
With Arvidsson back, that can change.
At first, I imagine he'll start on the third line with Pierre-Luc Dubois. You don't want to throw a player who's missed five months straight into a second-line role and I doubt they want to break up that second line.
This should have an immediate positive impact on the lineup.
As disappointing as Dubois has been this season, there's no ignoring that he's also been very unlucky.
He's posting a team-low 0.949 PDO (a measure of the team's combined shooting and save percentage with a player on the ice) amongst regular players.
His most frequent linemates have all also underperformed their expected goals, as has Dubois himself.
Arvidsson's scored 20 or more goals in each of his seasons with the Kings and is a player who can both create and finish chances.
This isn't meant as a knock on players like Alex Laferriere, Arthur Kaliyev or Jaret Anderson-Dolan, but Arvidsson is a massive upgrade for Dubois compared to his most recent set of wingers.
Whether you view this as Dubois being out of excuses for his poor performances or an opportunity to unlock him, Arvidsson's addition will have an impact on Dubois.
Looking beyond the immediate future, the Kings can now shuffle their top nine more effectively.
Arvidsson has a history of success with Phil Danault and Trevor Moore, and while he wasn't great with Anze Kopitar two seasons ago, moving him to the top line is also a possibility.
At the very least, the Kings aren't locked into their current top six, with no viable replacement to come in and shake things up anymore.
The Power Play:
Perhaps the biggest boost is going to come on the power play.
The Kings haven't been bad on the man advantage this season, but they haven't been anywhere near the dominant force they were last season either.
Adding Arvidsson, who led the team in power-play goals and was tied for the team lead in points, is going to be massive.
He's also the right shot, net-front presence they've been crying out for this season. His ability to pop out and become an option to create quick-hit opportunities is going to create a lot of chances for his unit.
The only question then becomes what to do with Quinton Byfield.
Byfield's done a good job playing the net front on the top unit and it feels a little harsh to demote him after a strong showing.
It's unlikely they trust him to take either Kopitar or Fiala's spot on the power play, so moving him to the net front on the second unit seems like the only option.
This should give the Kings two strong units down the stretch.
Cap Complications:
The one downside to Arvidsson's return is the cap complications it brings.
With Arvidsson back in the lineup, they'll only be able to carry one extra player, assuming no other trades or injuries occur.
Blake Lizotte is an option for LTIR, which would give the Kings more flexibility, but if he returns, they're back in a bind.
Given the benefit of adding a player of Arvidsson's quality though, it's a worthwhile tradeoff.
Kings Need Arvidsson to Hit the Ground Running:
The Kings are clinging onto a playoff spot right now and need to find their game.
Arvidsson can be a difference-maker who pushes them over the edge, but he doesn't have much time to get back up to speed.
If it takes him 15-20 games to recapture his form, the Kings could be in trouble, it could be too late by then.
They need Arvidsson to have an immediate impact, even if that is an unrealistic ask of a player who hasn't played in five months.
If nothing else, if he can be a big boost on the power play, the Kings are in a good spot.