Olofsson running away with his opportunity in Buffalo

In his last season playing with Frölunda in the Swedish Hockey League during the 2017-18 campaign, Victor Olofsson led the entire league with 27 goals in 50 games played for the Indians. His 27 goals were three more than the next player in second place, and the most goals by a player in the league since the 2014-15 season.

His strong play in Sweden that year earned himself an entry-level contract with the Sabres, signing a two-year deal back on April 28, 2018.

Olofsson made his North American debut just this past season, where he took the American Hockey League by storm early with 15 points (5+10) in his first 10 games, earning him the honor as the CCM/AHL Player of the Month of October.

In 66 games with the Rochester Americans as a rookie, the scoring winger put up an astonishing 30 goals and 63 points.

His strong and consistent play as the season progressed eventually led to a call up to the Buffalo Sabres for the final four games of the 2018-19 season. During that time, Olofsson scored his first two NHL goals, and also earned two assists while playing on a line with captain Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart.

As Olofsson enters his second season in North America, he has already put in the work to earn a full-time spot in the NHL this season.

"I felt like I wanted to work a little bit on my lower-body strength and become a little faster and stronger. I felt like I was able to do that, and I got myself really prepared for the season," Olofsson said following practice on Friday at Harborcenter. "I've been excited all summer, I had a great summer as well, so I'm just super excited."

In Olofsson's first action of the summer at the annual Sabres Prospects Challenge, he looked dominant as a 24-year-old on the ice against a majority of players who were just getting their first breath of NHL action. In the three games he played, Olofsson managed to score two goals and add three assists, while also throwing a ton of pucks to the opposing nets.

It's arguable that Olofsson's play at the Prospects Challenge was a good litmus test for what was to come from him once training camp got underway.

"I came in early and had the Prospects Challenge, and that got me kind of prepared for training camp. I feel like it's been going very well, especially in the practices at first, and then I feel like in the last two games I've really picked up my game. I feel good right now."

At the start of training camp, Olofsson lined up on the left wing with fellow Swedes Rasmus Asplund and Marcus Johansson. His first preseason game against the Columbus Blue Jackets was a relatively quiet one for him, with no shots on goal while playing 15:52 of total ice-time in a 4-1 loss.

However, he kept putting up the work in practice and the results soon followed, which caught the eye of new Sabres head coach Ralph Krueger.

"Just from Day 1 here, in the rookie camp and all the way through, he has always just shown his professionalism and his growth through the summer time," Krueger said with the media following Friday's practice. "His confidence is very high. His mindset is healthy and strong. I think the world outside of the Sabres family is excited about his offense, but we're excited with what he's doing without the puck and how hard he works to get it back, and also to check and to play the game we want defensively. It's a good way to ice-time here in our lineup."

By his second game of the preseason against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Olofsson had been given the chance to play on the top power play unit with the likes of Eichel, Reinhart, Jeff Skinner and Rasmus Dahlin. He also was placed on a penalty kill unit, which he started to get a lot while in Rochester as the 2018-19 season went on.

"He's been really outstanding on both sides of the puck," Krueger said. "Then when we get to special teams, we feel comfortable that he can add value and give us depth on the penalty kill, for sure."

In the third period of the Leafs game, he found himself back on the ice with Eichel and Reinhart playing on the left wing. With time running out in regulation, Eichel forced a turnover in the Leafs' zone and Reinhart quickly thread the needle to Olofsson, who waited patiently for the perfect shot and beat goalie Michael Hutchinson high to the blocker side for the game-winning goal.

Push him into the bench again, why don't ya? @vickeo | #Sabres50 pic.twitter.com/0u2O646C5A

Krueger liked his play so much to that point, that he had given him the term, "permanently dangerous."

That trio stuck together into the upcoming week of practice and into the next preseason game this past Wednesday against the Blue Jackets. Once again, Olofsson was the benefactor of another forced turnover in the offensive zone by Eichel, and this time he got a slap shot off that beat goalie Elvis Merzlikins high on the blocker side to give Buffalo the lead again.

Permanently dangerous. --@vickeo | #Sabres50 pic.twitter.com/3JUKNKdSiP

In three preseason games to this point, Olofsson has scored three goals on five shots on goal.

At Friday's practice, Olofsson was back with Eichel and Reinhart on Buffalo's top line. At this point of training camp and the preseason, it may be starting to look like that this line is going to be featured on opening night against the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 3 at PPG Paints Arena.

"Just to get to play with those guys it's a great learning experience as well, and I'm just trying to do my best and play my game too. I don't want to change anything," Olofsson said of his linemates. "I have great chemistry with both Jack and Sam, and I felt like I had great chemistry with [Marcus> Johansson as well. Having the chance to play with good players all camp is really exciting."

While that line has looked fast and in sync during training camp and the preseason, Olofsson admitted that there is still some learning to do at the NHL level. Having linemates like Eichel and Reinhart have only helped him continue to progress towards making the opening night roster in Buffalo.

"We kind of take it as it comes. If there's any situations out there where they feel like they can help me with, they will do that for sure," Olofsson said. "I'm trying to be a shooter on that line. Both Jack and Sam are great puck handlers and great passers, so I'm just trying to find that open ice and get some shots off."

The Sabres will close out the preseason on Saturday afternoon against the Penguins in Pittsburgh. It's likely that players like Eichel, Reinhart, Olofsson, Skinner, Dahlin and other top players will not see the ice in the preseason finale. Linus Ullmark is expected to get the start and play the entire length of the game.

Here is how Friday's lines looked:

Olofsson - Eichel - Reinhart

Skinner - Johansson - Sobotka

Vesey - Mittelstadt - Sheary

Wilson - Rodrigues - Okposo

Girgensons - Larsson - Lazar

Elie - Asplund - Thompson

Dahlin - Ristolainen

Scandella - Miller

Gilmour - Borgen

Nelson - Jokiharju

Join Brian Koziol and Paul Hamilton for pre-game coverage on WGR starting at 3:45 p.m. on Saturday, where you can hear more from Olofsson.