Vegas Golden Knights right wing Victor Olofsson skates with the puck
(Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire)

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Victor Olofsson reportedly signing one-year deal with Colorado Avalanche
  • Swedish winger coming off bounce-back season with Vegas Golden Knights
  • Read below for details on Olofsson’s fit with the Avs

The Colorado Avalanche just landed one of the top remaining free agents on the market.

Swedish winger Victor Olofsson is expected to sign a one-year contract with the Avs, according to a Tuesday report from PuckPedia. Financial terms haven’t been disclosed yet.

Report:

The 30-year-old forward is coming off a solid rebound year with Vegas, where he notched 15 goals and 29 points in 56 games. That’s a nice bounce-back after his rough final season in Buffalo, where he managed just 15 points in 51 contests.

Olofsson spent his first six NHL seasons with the Sabres after they drafted him in the seventh round back in 2014. He showed flashes of being a legit scorer, hitting the 40-point mark multiple times in Buffalo.

But it was his playoff debut with Vegas that might’ve caught Colorado’s attention.

The Golden Knights gave Olofsson his first taste of postseason hockey last spring, and he delivered four points in nine games before Edmonton knocked them out in Round 2. That kind of depth scoring is exactly what the Avs need.

Colorado’s looking to bounce back after Dallas eliminated them in the Central Division Semifinals. With Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and a healthy Gabriel Landeskog back in the mix, the Avs are loading up for another Cup run.

Olofsson brings 370 games of NHL experience to Denver, with 105 goals and 211 points on his resume. He proved in Vegas that he can still contribute when healthy, and on a one-year prove-it deal, he’ll be motivated to show he belongs.

The Avs needed depth scoring after losing some pieces this offseason. Olofsson’s shoot-first mentality and power-play expertise should fit nicely in Colorado’s high-octane offense — he’s netted nearly 40% of his goals with the man advantage.

If the Swede can stay healthy and find chemistry with the Avs’ star players, this could be another sneaky good signing by GM Chris MacFarland.