Former winger scored 20+ goals during his six-year career in Buffalo
After six seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, winger Victor Olofsson departed from the organization without much fanfare in July. The former seventh-round pick became an expensive spare part last season after scoring 20 or more goals three times, playing only 51 games and tallying only seven goals.
The 29-year-old winger and former linemate of Jack Eichel latched on with Vegas on a one-year deal and in his first game with the Golden Knights, Olofsson scored the opening goal of the season and added another tally on the power play in an 8-4 victory over ex-Sabre Casey Mittelstaft and the Colorado Avalanche.
“I see myself as an offensive player and it’s always nice to score a goal early in the season,” Olofsson said after the game.
Olofsson’s decreased role last season remains puzzling, especially with the Sabres decline in production by 50 goals, as they used him as mostly a bottom-six winger. There was a lot of speculation that the Sabres intended to trade him before last season, but that seemed to fade after the Achilles injury to Jack Quinn.
Other Sabres with impressive showings on opening night were Eichel, who had four assists in the contest. Mittelstadt also scored his first of the season in the loss.
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