Winnipeg Jets Strike Out: Top Remaining NHL Free Agent Joins Central Division Rival

Victor Olofsson entered free agency after a bounce-back season with the Vegas Golden Knights.

After six seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, the team that drafted him in the seventh round in 2014, the Swedish winger signed a one-year, $1.075 million contract with Vegas this past summer.

That followed a difficult 2023-24 campaign in Buffalo, where he posted just 15 points in 51 games.

In Vegas, the 30-year-old regained some of his scoring touch. Although he was limited to 56 games due to injuries, he netted 15 goals and 14 assists for 29 points.

Not quite the 40-point pace he was in his prime with the Sabres, but Olofsson proved he could be a reliable depth scorer for a playoff team.

He registered four points in nine playoff games before the Golden Knights were eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers in the second round.

Olofsson has 105 goals and 106 assists for 211 points in 370 NHL career games. Last spring was his first taste of playoff action.

Olofsson could be the key for the Avalanche to win the Central Division

Now, Olofsson becomes a part of a Colorado team that is seeking a return to Central Division supremacy after being defeated by the Dallas Stars in last season's semifinals.

This could pose a problem for the Winnipeg Jets, as their direct rivals have just gotten better up front.

With stars such as Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and the now-returning Gabriel Landeskog around him, he'll get the chance to find a significant role on a contender.

For Olofsson, the Avalanche provides a clean slate and an opportunity to demonstrate that there is still much more to give. If all goes well, Colorado will be giving their Western Conference foes a real hard time in the upcoming season.