Dreger: Teams interested in Viktor Olofsson

[BKarchitect]

middle 6 winger, cant play defense, slightly overpaid. How is he not a Canucks yet?

Only one year left on his deal. Would only make sense for the Nucks if he had 3+ left.

 

[Zman5778]

Only one year left on his deal. Would only make sense for the Nucks if he had 3+ left.

He could be extended...........

 

[Fist of Fury]

I'm sure Lou is atleast kicking tires a little bit and sniffing. Could certainly help our inept powerplay...

 

[BKarchitect]

He could be extended...........

True, VO at 4.5x5 sounds more Canucks like!

 

[StormCast]

And to follow on this: It's not like Olofsson isn't a WILLING defender....he tries and is actually a pretty solid backchecker/puckhound on the rush. He's just not very good at reading the play in his own zone and reacting to it. He'd do just fine in a system where he has a defined role in the defensive zone.

I'm not advocating for VO in Carolina, but the Canes play a tight structure and are one of the few teams that play man-to-man in their own zone. So that may alleviate some of his read issues.

 

[SnS]

Wouldn’t shock me to see Philly poking their head around it.

 

[Panthaz89]

Anyone buying Olofsson will have buyer’s remorse the moment he steps on the ice for them. He is a worse skating version of dzingel

I'd be pretty worried if the Sabres traded him to someone like the Islanders his skills actually fit pretty well with a guy like Barzal.

 

[Maurice of Orange]

Wouldn’t shock me to see Philly poking their head around it.

Viktor Olofsson doesn’t strike me as a player that Torts would want on the roster.

 

[Ace]

Viktor Olofsson doesn’t strike me as a player that Torts would want on the roster.

tbf no one knows what kind of player Viktor is. Victor wouldn’t be his favorite though.

This isn’t a crack on you…original tweet and thread title did it first

 

[tsujimoto74]

Defensive liability PP specialists are far from sought out by NHL contenders.

Generally, that type of player ends up costing team dearly when on ice in big moments and are generally press box fodder when stakes are raised.

He scored 20 ES goals last year. He’s good at scoring goals no matter how many guys are on the ice.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

Said it before he'd be a great replacement for Kerfoot even if he's just a goal scorer, because Kerfoot isn't even that.

Doubt Buffalo moves him within the division though

Olofsson for Grebyonkin and we have a deal

 

[seafoam]

What teams have a glaring need for PP help and can bury him at even strength? I’d start there to look for suspects.

Return probably depends on retainage too.

Islanders, but they don’t have cap space.

 

[Double Dion]

Tanev (Chris) for VO, 2nd and 3rd.

 

[enthusiast]

Olofsson has another level wrt board play and passing that he showed in spurts. Hopefully a new situation can get him back there

 

[Aladyyn]

Niche skill sets are only great if they bring actual value to a team. For as good as his goal scoring is, his play reading, skating, and defense just as equally bad. there isnt value there. analytics or no analytics.

Olofsson's niche skillset is the most valuable niche skillset in hockey

 

[biturbo19]

I find it hilarious given that it's "draft season" where fans drool over these types of prospects and scoff at the notion, "all he does is score". Then, when that actual player is available...to the tune of a pretty reliable ~30G per season and literally nothing else...suddenly he's a bum and nobody wants him.



I think it's an interesting object lesson in what "upside" really means. 30G upside sounds amazing. But the reality is less exciting.

Basically the modern day Radim Vrbata. Scores goals with a wicked collection of shots. That is all.


I do still think there are teams that could benefit from that, if applied correctly and expectations overall are kept in check. Just isn't the sort of player that tends to end up in a bidding war. Usually more the sort of player that a fringe/bubble team signs to try to give them that extra little boost to get them over the edge into the playoffs.

Flames, Preds, Penguins, maybe Wings all come to mind as possibilities.

 

[Gubbhornet]

Which team is well centered but lacks scoring and cannot afford top shelf players? I would love to see him in Carolina.

 

[Irie]

Because even at 50% he is a negative asset. Poor skater and doesn’t play defense. Why pay for a guy who may play 8 minutes a night on the 4th line?

This narrative is ridiculous and keeps being repeated by posters that have never really even watched Olofsson play a game. Someone says it, someone else repeats it, and all of a sudden, false narratives are fact on HF.

Olofsson had a really bad year. He played on the third line all season and never found any chemistry with linemates, but still potted 28 goals. He is currently lost in Granatos system, but to say he can't skate and he doesn't try on D is just false. Watch the video below, watch his backcheck in the first 3 seconds of the video, and tell me he doesn't play D and can't skate.

 

[Oddbob]

He is just another Athanasiou. One dimensional "scorer" who doesn't score that much and sucks at defence. You would think if offence is your only good thing, you would be better at it. 40-50 pts and -15to -25 is not a player most teams need or want.

 

[Weltschmerz]

This narrative is ridiculous and keeps being repeated by posters that have never really even watched Olofsson play a game. Someone says it, someone else repeats it, and all of a sudden, false narratives are fact on HF.

Olofsson had a really bad year. He played on the third line all season and never found any chemistry with linemates, but still potted 28 goals. He is currently lost in Granatos system, but to say he can't skate and he doesn't try on D is just false. Watch the video below, watch his backcheck in the first 3 seconds of the video, and tell me he doesn't play D and can't skate.

He looks like a black hole there, or is the vid just not loading?

 

[Oddbob]

This narrative is ridiculous and keeps being repeated by posters that have never really even watched Olofsson play a game. Someone says it, someone else repeats it, and all of a sudden, false narratives are fact on HF.

Olofsson had a really bad year. He played on the third line all season and never found any chemistry with linemates, but still potted 28 goals. He is currently lost in Granatos system, but to say he can't skate and he doesn't try on D is just false. Watch the video below, watch his backcheck in the first 3 seconds of the video, and tell me he doesn't play D and can't skate.

He was also -23 to get those 28 goals. How much benefit do 28 goals do when you also are -23? He also racked up that bad of a plus minus while not even hitting the 15 minute a night mark. Imagine giving him any more ice time.

 

[Weltschmerz]

He was also -23 to get those 28 goals. How much benefit do 28 goals do when you also are -23? He also racked up that bad of a plus minus while not even hitting the 15 minute a night mark. Imagine giving him any more ice time.

Imagine refering to plus/minus in 2023. If you don't want him what is your point?
Crapping on the player? Let's talk about Zadina.

 

[Oddbob]

Imagine refering to plus/minus in 2023. If you don't want him what is your point?
Crapping on the player? Let's talk about Zadina.

Go ahead, talk about Zadina, doesn't bother me one iota. Plus/minus is a valid stat when within your own team, and he was well ahead of everyone that wasn't a defender and plays not that many minutes. It was giving an opinion on a player on a discussion forum. You know the thing we all do on this discussion forum. Just cause you don't like an honest assessment of the player, doesn't mean it is crapping on him. AA played for the Wings and he is very much the same kind of player as Olofsson.

 

[Digable5]

A little bit of context that seems to be overlooked at times about Olofsson:

- The Sabres are LOADED at the forward position. The reason why he was benched and could see himself getting traded is that they have all of the offensive fire power that they need and have to make room for rookies/players that bring size, penalty killing, variety, etc... (Greenway) that is currently missing from the roster.

- Previous Sabres' coach Ralph Krueger either benched Jeff Skinner or put him on the fourth line because "other players did a better job of following his principles". I bring this up because, the "defense/team principles" coach never had a problem with Olofsson. And, the free wheeling, do what you do best coach in Don Granato let him focus on scoring goals. The effort and team play is there but the fit/ability might be subpar.

- Allowing too many goals has been a team problem for the Sabres. They allowed the 7th most goals against and its not all Olofsson's fault. Goaltending, defense and young roster were all contributing factors. As others have said, on a team that can better shelter his deficiencies his metrics would look a ton better.

- He played the third line and 2nd PP with 21 of 28 goals coming from even strength. Tage Thompson scored 27 even strength goals from the 1st line with Skinner and Tuch and playing 3 more games.

- If he were a more complete player he probably wouldn't even be available at only $4,750,000 for 1 more season. Assuming the Sabres retain salary, he has value. I think he will garner a 3rd. Trying to turn him into an NHL ready asset seems unlikely.

 

[Washed Up 29YearOld]

3 pages in and no one noticed his first name is spelled wrong by OP and several posters?