Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – In April, the Buffalo Sabres were playing their most important games in 12 years and scoring winger Victor Olofsson was a healthy scratch.
Olofsson sat five-straight games before playing in the last two contests after the Sabres were eliminated from playoff contention. Yes, he did score in both games, but it was also in games that didn’t mean anything.
The 28-year-old sat for seven of 15 games down the stretch, and it was simply because of his play.
LISTEN LIVE TO WGR:
In 75 games, Olofsson had 28 goals and 12 assists for 40 points. He also was minus-23, which was second-worst on the team by far. The Swedish winger was, of course, not happy about his inactivity at the end of the season.
"It was the most important stretch of the season and I didn’t play, so it’s frustrating," said Olofsson during his end-of-season press conference. "I just tried to work as hard as I could and try to be better every day."
The fact that the Sabres benched a 28-goal scorer down the stretch when it mattered the most tells you all you need to know about Olofsson. Despite all the goals, he brings nothing else to the table. He goes into long slumps, and when that’s happening, he hurts the team with perimeter play, shoddy defense and bad forechecking.
Slumps are a huge problem with Olofsson.
In the eight games he did play before being benched for five, he scored in just one of those games. Between Jan. 26 and March 7, Olofsson scored one goal in 17 games, and scored no goals in 15-straight contests. He had another stretch of one goal in nine games, and another where he didn’t score in eight-straight.
The one thing Olofsson did improve upon was picking up points while at 5-on-5. He’s notoriously been pretty much a power play guy, but this season, 21 of his 28 goals came at even strength, along with 28 of his 40 points.
Olofsson spoke with both head coach Don Granato and general manager Kevyn Adams before leaving Buffalo for Sweden this offseason.
"I think we had a really good conversation," Olofsson said. "Right now, I do have a year left on my contract, and I’m going to work really hard to come back as a better player. That’s my mindset right now."
In his conversation with the coaches, Olofsson says they told him he needs to be more consistent, and he needs to get his compete level up a little bit.
"Sometimes it’s really good, and sometimes I have a small dip. But I feel I still did a lot of good things this year," Olofsson said. "It’s easy to focus that I wasn’t in the lineup at the end, but I’m still proud of myself with what I’ve been doing."
If he could help the team in other ways, it wouldn’t be so bad, but he doesn’t. The fact is Olofsson just turned 28 last week, and I don’t think, at this point, the team can wait any longer for a player that competes more consistently.
I don’t think the injury to Jack Quinn should matter to what Adams does with Olofsson. I think a trade is the only answer. I just don’t think you can win with players that can only do one thing.
Trading him may not be easy. Of course 28 goals is attractive, but you’re getting a player that doesn’t compete all the time and can really only do one thing.
Is there a team that wants to take on a $4.75 million cap hit for one season hoping at age 28 he improves?
Buffalo could keep some of the salary if it meant getting a trade done, but since we’re already into late July, I have to wonder how much interest is actually out there.
