Viktor Arvidsson held all the cards going into the trade deadline in the form of his no-trade clause. But the 32-year-old veteran’s UFA-to-be status still had him holding his breath until the 3 p.m. deadline passed Friday.

“Of course you always don’t know what’s going to happen,” Arvidsson said. “In my case, I was in a little bit of control I guess but I’ve been in the league for so long, I know anything can happen. You can get a phone call at any time. But I’m just enjoying being here and being in this league and playing hockey against the best players in the world. It’s a lot of fun.”

Arvidsson paid the B’s back for keeping him by scoring the game-winning goal in Saturday’s 3-1 win over the Washington Capitals, beating Logan Thompson on a third period breakaway.

He’s glad that he remained a Bruin.

“I’ve liked it here all year. We’re playing good and I’m happy to be here. I’m doing everything I can for all these guys around me to push for the playoffs,” said Arvidsson, who has been a part of the B’s most stable line with Pavel Zacha and Casey Mittelstadt.

There has been some talk of a contract for the veteran winger, but that’s not in the front of his mind.

“I don’t know. We haven’t gotten to that point yet. I’m more focused on this group and what we’re going to do this year. We’ll see what happens in the future. I’m just trying to play as good as I can out there and provide leadership to this group and go from there,” Arvidsson said.

Coach Marco Sturm has been a strong booster of Arvidsson, even when he was battling some health issues earlier in the season. Sturm was glad the veteran remained in place, even if there was a little drama in his mind.

“I knew already he was not going anywhere,” Sturm said with a smile. “But I’m just happy. He played the right way and he cares. He’s one of those guys who is really mad when things are not going his way but that shows me that he cares a lot. He cares about winning and cares about this team and cares about doing everything he can to help this team. He did it again today.”

The B’s wound up moving nothing from the roster, which seemed fine with players in the locker room.

“We love each other in the group,” David Pastrnak said. “Everybody’s spoken pretty openly about the group of guys we have in the room and how we love each other on and off the ice. Management feels the same. There was nothing to help the group. It just proves they have trust in us. We have a good group out here and we work for each other every night. We just need to keep going.”

Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak (88) stretches as the Bruins practice last month at Warrior Ice Arena. (Staff photo by Stuart Cahill)

Pastrnak talks slump

Pastrnak had just one assist and was minus-6 in the first four games out of the Olympic break, where he played for Czechia, for whom he was the flag-bearer at the opening ceremonies. Sturm was asked if he sensed any fatigue in his star wing.

“Not physically, I don’t think. I talked to him a bunch of times and I actually think he looks good to me. The mental part? I don’t know,” Sturm said before the game. “It’s a lot for these guys, going there and playing for a country like Czechia. There’s a lot of pressure. He’s the guy. He did a pretty good job. He comes home and now he has to do it again with the Bruins. There’s a lot on those players. David is just a human, too. Don’t forget that. He had a hell of a month in January and that’s what we need him to be. He knows he’s not been his best so we all try to help him get to this point because, again, we need him.”

Pastrnak’s performance in the B’s 3-1 win over the Caps was a decent step forward. After having six shots on net in his previous three games, he had six on Saturday and picked up a pair of helpers.

His message to critics held a theme similar to Sturm’s.

“Listen, I’m still a human being and I feel that there’s times there’s going to be slumps and humps,” Pastrnak said. “To be completely honest, I think everybody’s making too big a deal out of it. Obviously, I know I wasn’t at my best and unfortunately it happened, but I’m working my butt off every night and every day to get better. Obviously, confidence has been a little bit lacking and I just have to gain that little bit. Listen, I’m not worried. I’ll be back pretty soon.”

How does a player regain that?

“Just simple, just playing details, stay strong on the puck,” Pastrnak said. “Obviously, I’m an offensive player and I need the puck on my stick and be more relaxed and just play out there. It’s a long season. Today was a step in the right direction and hopefully I can build moving forward and be better for the group.”

Loose Pucks

After missing the Nashville game with an illness, Jonathan Aspirot was back in the lineup and Jordan Harris came out. Alex Steeves also got in his first game since the Olympic break and Mikey Eyssimont came out.

“(Steeves) didn’t do anything wrong. Even Mikey Eyssimont, he didn’t do anything wrong. I need everyone involved,” Sturm said. “Steevie, we’re going to use him on the power play, too. We think we need a little bit more juice there. I’m trying to get everyone involved as I can. Now everyone’s healthy so that makes it hard on me. But we have so many games coming up so everyone should be ready too, even if they’re not in the lineup. It could change tomorrow.”

Sturm said the B’s have had their eye on Lukas Reichel, the 2020 17th overall pick, all season so it wasn’t a surprise that the B’s landed him. A speed merchant who tends to play too much on the perimeter, Reichel will be a little bit of a low risk/high reward reclamation project after the B’s sent a sixth round pick to Vancouver for him. Sturm played with his father, Martin, on the German national team. Reichel’s uncle is former NHLer Robert Reichel.

“Good family, good kid,” Sturm said. “He will be in Providence but I think he’ll give us good depth. He’s been struggling a little bit but had a very good Olympics, so he has a lot of upside. He’ll be good as a depth guy.”