Bruins’ Viktor Arvidsson leaves Game 4 with upper-body injury
A horrible Game 4 has gotten even worse for the Boston Bruins.
Not only were the Bruins blown out in their own building 6-1 to the Buffalo Sabres to fall down 3-1 in their first round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Sunday, they’ve also taken a hit to their lineup with winger Viktor Arvidsson exiting the game with an upper-body injury.
UPDATE: Viktor Arvidsson (upper-body) will not return to today's game.
Arvidsson left midway through the first period of Game 4 after he took a hit from Mattias Samuelsson. When Andrew Peeke dumped the puck into the Sabres’ zone, Arvidsson chased after it, with Samuelsson hot on his tail. As Arvidsson chipped the puck around the boards, Samuelsson caught up and hit Arvidsson into the boards.
Samuelsson hit on Arvidsson #LetsGoBuffalo #NHLBruins
The hit was not an overly dirty one, just one that hit Arvidsson in the wrong spot, as there was no penalty on the play, nor is any further supplemental discipline expected on the hit.
Arvidsson leaves the game with just the hit taken and a shot attempt on his stat sheet in 3:13 of ice time before his departure.
At this point in time, no update has been provided on Arvidsson aside from the Bruins announcing his departure from the game. There may be an update provided after the game, or during a practice ahead of Game 5 on Tuesday, but that will probably only be if it’s long-term. Because it’s the playoffs, if it’s short-term, the team may keep his status as a game-time decision to not show their hands.
Arvidsson joined the Bruins last summer in a trade from the Edmonton Oilers after a disappointing 2024-25 season. He saw a return to form in his first season with the Bruins in 2025-26, where he had 25 goals and 29 assists for 54 points in 69 games, as well as two goals in four games of the playoffs. He’s set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer with the conclusion of his two-year contract.
The Bruins had three forwards as healthy scratches in Game 4 in Michael Eyssimont, James Hagens and Alex Steeves, so they’ll have a few options to replace Arvidsson in the lineup for Game 5 should he miss further action. Hagens has already dressed for three games, as he was scratched for Lukas Reichel for Game 4, so he’s the most likely candidate to draw in.
The Bruins will look to keep their season alive when they travel back to Buffalo for Game 5 of their series on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. EST.