Hat Tricks by Robertson, Arvidsson Paint Big Picture

Jason Robertson and Viktor Arvidsson had big nights on Friday.

Both players recorded hat tricks that propelled their teams to 4-3 overtime victories. Each club picked up a pair of critical points, as both Robertson’s Dallas Stars and Arvidsson’s Los Angeles Kings are locked in tight playoff races.

What caught my attention when it came to these stellar individual efforts was how fitting both hat tricks are. With the trade deadline dictating almost all conversations in the NHL right now, Robertson and Arvidsson had nights that are indicative of what their teams should do in the coming weeks.

Let’s start with Arvidsson and his LA squad. The 28-year-old is enjoying a resurgence in his first season in California after his final two years in Nashville were a bit underwhelming. In 49 games this season, Arvidsson has 18 goals and 20 assists for 38 points.

This is exactly what the Kings were hoping he could do when they acquired him, and it’s exactly what I was projecting him to do when I picked his team to reach the Western Conference Final this season. For that reason, his hat trick on Friday tells me that the Kings are in good hands and should embrace a win-now mentality at the deadline.

LA has a mix of champions and young players that makes it a franchise that’s walking a very fine line. It won’t be long before the two-time Stanley Cup winners have to say goodbye to players that helped them earn that title, but for now, the Kings should have the green light in terms of trying to win one more this year.

The addition of Arvidsson in the offseason signaled a desire to contend in 2022, and his hat trick on Friday is the latest example of him matching expectations, and that exemplifies the Kings’ need to go all-in before the March 21 deadline.

Arvidsson and Robertson score fitting hat tricks.

Next, we have Robertson and the Stars. The offense in Dallas has long been the key to the Stars’ bid for a Stanley Cup. The best example is 2020 when a trip to the Stanley Cup Final was fueled by an offensive attack that was actually productive, which should be the case more often given the talent on the roster in the Lone Star State.

Unfortunately, this season has not yielded such copious outputs, and the veteran forwards not named Joe Pavelski are the reason for the underachievement. Most offensive contributions in Dallas have come from young players, which is why Robertson’s hatty is so appropriate.

Jamie Benn picked up an assist on Friday, but Alexander Radulov came up empty while Tyler Seguin did not play. Had Robertson not taken over, the Stars probably would have lost this game, as the vets were once again unimpactful.

So far this season, Robertson has compiled 26 goals and 25 assists for 51 points in 46 games played. He is in the top two on his team in all three of those offensive categories.

Of course, during an 82-game season, different players will shine on different nights, but it’s just interesting to me that on this night, a pair of hat tricks seemed to so perfectly capture the essence of two teams in a snapshot an hour apart.

Watch for both Robertson and Arvidsson to continue leading their teams as the playoff push intensifies.