Buffalo Sabres: 3 offseason trades we are glad didn’t happen
By Sion Fawkes
Trading away Victor Olofsson
As an RFA, Olofsson was a huge possibility to go elsewhere. Fortunately, he did not, but as with the Kane trade listed above, I understand why some fans would have been cool with trading away Olofsson. One knock on him is that he went over three months without scoring a single goal, which I’ll admit is inexcusable.
Then came his hot streak, in which he knocked down 15 goals in two-and-a-half months. Not bad for a player who found themselves in a massive slump. If Olofsson continues that trend in 2022-23, he would be on pace for a 36-goal season. That’s the guy you want to keep around for another season or two so you can see if he emulates his late-season success.
If Olofsson does, the Buffalo Sabres are in the driver’s seat to sign him to a lucrative, long-term deal in the summer of 2024. If not, then they got plenty of talent to take over his position, like a Quinn, Peterka, or they can perhaps even bump someone like Matthew Savoie to right wing.
In short, by keeping Olofsson around and not trading him, the Sabres have a lot to gain. They also have little to lose if he doesn’t pan out.