Three potential destinations for Sabres winger
The Buffalo Sabres have a number of players that might be on the wish list of Stanley Cup contenders in just under two weeks, and based on the number of teams scouting the Blue and Gold recently, GM Kevyn Adams could be involved in multiple trades before March 8.
Another potential target is winger Victor Olofsson. The Sabres held off on dealing the 28-year-old winger after Jack Quinn’s injury last summer when there may have been interest from teams that needed a scorer. Now the three-time 20-goal scorer’s value has been diminished with him playing mostly bottom-six minutes, posting just 12 points (4 goals, 8 assists) in 35 games this season.
Olofsson’s sizable $4.75 million salary is a significant impediment that would necessitate the Sabres retaining 50% to make a trade possible, but the winger could be attractive for clubs not looking to spend much for scoring help.
Here are three potential destinations for Olofsson:
1. Seattle - The Kraken are still in the race for a wildcard spot and are one of the few teams that has room under the salary cap to add. If Seattle does not drop out of the race, they are not likely to spend significant assets as buyers but could spare a mid-round pick for Olofsson, which is likely all the Sabres are going to get for him.
2. NY Islanders – The Isles are on the verge of being out of range of the playoff chase (currently five points behind Tampa Bay, but have two games in hand), and as always, they are in need of an infusion of scoring. Olofsson can play with top-six talent and on the power play, which might be a fit for Patrick Roy’s squad.
3. Nashville – The Preds are in the mix for a Western Conference wildcard spot. They are a middle-of-the-pack offensive club and could use a spark on their power play, currently 21st in the NHL at 18.7%.
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