1:17 p.m.: Vegas has confirmed the Olofsson signing.
12:20 p.m.: The Golden Knights are expected to add some depth scoring in the form of UFA winger Victor Olofsson, PuckPedia reports. It’ll be a one-year deal worth $1.075MM, per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period.
With the signing, the 28-year-old Olofsson leaves the only NHL home he’s ever known. A seventh-round pick of the Sabres, Olofsson ended up giving Buffalo great value for such a late-round selection. While a well-documented one-dimensional talent, he’s a three-time 20-goal scorer and is two years removed from a career-best 49 points in 72 games with the Sabres.
2023-24 was an extremely trying campaign for Olofsson, though, and it was clear he wouldn’t be brought back. After a difficult start to the season, he requested a trade prior to the deadline, although GM Kevyn Adams couldn’t find a deal. Now, he had a bit more agency in finding his next team on the open market.
Last year was inarguably Olofsson’s worst since breaking into the league in 2019. He was a frequent healthy scratch and was rendered largely ineffective when in the lineup, limited to seven goals and 15 points in 51 games in solely fourth-line minutes (11:34 per game). And without his goal-scoring, there isn’t much to like about his game. Looking at traditional plus-minus ratings to develop an informed opinion about a player’s defensive acumen isn’t always the best idea, but his career -63 rating in 314 games is telling. He’s also never had an xGF% above 50 at even strength in his five full NHL seasons and has struggled to control shot attempts, particularly over the past two seasons.
However, it’s a no-risk signing for Vegas at a one-year term with a cap hit that’s fully buriable in the minors. They’ll need a group effort to shoulder the loss of forwards Michael Amadio, Jonathan Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson, who all headed elsewhere when the UFA market opened yesterday.
Marchessault’s 40-plus goals last season will be especially difficult to replace, but a full season of deadline add Tomáš Hertl will take a lot of that burden away from Vegas’ young players and depth additions like Olofsson. He joins a group of secondary scorers that includes Golden Knights draft picks Brendan Brisson and Pavel Dorofeyev, as well as Devils 2020 top-10 selection Alexander Holtz, who was acquired via trade over the weekend and will be relied upon to help replace the aforementioned trio’s offense by committee.
@Josh — “…he had a bit more agency…” Was that agency named “urgency”, by any chance? (@Gbear said you wouldn’t mind me asking)
:)
@Mac – Maybe he combined an agent with an urgent UFA signing? :D
Now, we need to find a new home for Cody Glass to free up some cap space after GMBT cleaned off the shelf of top UFA’s. :)
@Gbear — “…after GMBT cleaned off the shelf of top UFA’s.” Did you ever think in your wildest dreams you would write something like that? You have to hand it to BT, though, he’s doing everything Poile refused to consider doing. I can’t wait to tune in Pete & Hal in late September. Imagine people in the future saying this:
“Why didn’t the guy before Poile do these things?”
“Poile was that guy!”
“Ooof!”
@Mac -I shall now refer to the Poile era as the former regime. :D
Trotz just has a positive vibe about him that Poile lacks. I can imagine Trotz getting players excited about being on his team.
But the big question is: does Stamkos move back to center next season? Would make sense given the Preds roster construction.
No sir. Agency, as in “action or intervention, especially such as to produce a particular effect.”
@Josh — Well, OK, but that one reads a bit weird, even for me, and that’s saying something. :)
Good deal for both sides here. Great opportunity for Olofsson.
good pickup. 3 time 20 goal guy for just over $1M is well done
lol Sabres move off of 2 scorers in skinner and Ollofson and replace them with more 4th line players! Makes so much sense. 14 yrs and counting!