Ex-Sabres Forward Has Great Opportunity With New Team

The 2023-24 season did not treat former Buffalo Sabres forward Victor Olofsson kindly. The 29-year-old winger’s offensive production dipped significantly, as he had just seven goals and 15 points in 51 games. Due to his struggles, his placement on the Sabres’ depth chart dropped, and he had several healthy scratches.

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Olofsson was the subject of trade rumors all season, but the Sabres could not find him a home before the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline. Instead, he got his fresh start in free agency, as he signed a one-year, $1.075 million contract with the Vegas Golden Knights in July.

The Golden Knights have the potential to be the perfect landing spot for Olofsson. When noting that he is reuniting with star center and former Sabres linemate Jack Eichel, he absolutely could bounce back with Vegas in 2024-25. The expectation is that Olofsson will get reps on the Golden Knights’ first line with Eichel due to the loss of Jonathan Marchessault and see power-play time.

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While Olofsson’s final season in Buffalo was rough, the possibility of him having a bounce-back campaign should not be ruled out. Just back in 2022-23 with the Sabres, he set a new career-high with 28 goals and had 40 points in 75 games. In addition, he has hit the 20-goal and 40-point marks three times in his career. He also came very close to hitting the 50-point mark in 2021-22, finishing with 49 points on the year.

Overall, Olofsson has a golden opportunity to turn things back around with the Golden Knights. From here, it will be fascinating to see if he has a big year on his one-year, prove-it deal.