Buffalo Sabres winger Victor Olofsson has improved unlike any other since the All-Star break.
The Buffalo Sabres have seen improvement all over the ice. But Victor Olofsson’s 12 points from February 15th to March 28th shows how much he has grown as a player.
Olofsson had not found twine in nearly three months and logged just 10 assists between November 21st and February 10th. Over the past 45 days, however, Olofsson has been arguably one of the team’s most productive players, with nine of his 12 points being goals.
The 181st overall pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, Olofsson is a lifelong Sabre, having made his debut in 2018-19. Since then, he has produced well, but not well enough to find a spot on the top scoring line. However, given his recent productivity, the Sabres would be foolish to cut ties with Olofsson, despite his steeper contract.
Buffalo Sabres must keep Victor Olofsson
What makes Olofsson such a valuable player is his consistency. Something he showed as a rookie in 2019-20 when he finished seventh for the Calder Memorial Trophy, handed out to the NHL’s best rookie.
Sure, Olofsson went nearly three months without a goal this season. But that’s changed since February 15th. And Olofsson has once again shown, even as a low-round draft pick the team took a flyer on, he can hang with the NHL’s best.
No, Olofsson will never belong on a top scoring line. Nor is he even a great fit for the second scoring line. But he’s proven he can produce, logging a 10.8% shooting percentage with 14 goals scored this season.
He’s also a proven puck handler, committing just 13 giveaways in 57 games this season. Olofsson is also logging an average of just 15:30 of average ice time, the lowest of his career, and he seems to be thriving in a more limited role.
His limited ice time may justify to some that he’s not worth the hefty price tag. However, given his recent productivity, he’s not the kind of player you can let walk. And he is the type of player that will come back to haunt the Sabres if he’s wearing another uniform in 2022-23.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)