Will Victor Olofsson lead the Buffalo Sabres in points?
By Sion Fawkes
Why Olofsson can lead the Buffalo Sabres in points
As mentioned, Olofsson scored nine times in the team’s first eight games. That puts him at 1.125 points per game. Over an 82-game stretch, that actually hits 92 points, and nine points above my projected ceiling for Olofsson.
But, injuries happen, and even healthy scratches to give players a break are a part of the game. So if Olofsson were to miss a few games this year because of an injury, what makes me think he won’t have a repeat of last season? Two reasons, really:
1) Olofsson and the Sabres are far more experienced than they were last year, so there will be fewer struggles, and…
2) Odds are, Olofsson’s wrist may not have fully healed, despite being cleared to play, so he could take additional time off if needed.
These two factors would likely prevent Olofsson from falling into the same scoreless slump he fell into in 2021-22. It is also imperative that we are talking about minor injuries here, so he could still creep closer to the 66-point median, and even exceed it. In both scenarios, he could wind up pacing the Sabres points-wise.
However, if Olofsson stays healthy, he already proved he is one of the Sabres most prolific scorers. This alone will make him a go-to when they are in the attacking zone. Olofsson also proved he was more than just a prolific scorer on the power play in 2021-22, scoring more goals at even strength than power play goals for the first time in his career.
Now that we know he is more than a niche or role player, expect Olofsson to get a few more scoring chances in 2022-23. Especially if he winds up on the first line and Tuch bounces back to the second. And that too may allow him to score more than anyone else on the Sabres.