Victor Olofsson was less than an afterthought when the Vegas Golden Knights signed him to a one-year, $1.075 million contract last summer. He scored seven goals and eight assists with the lowly Buffalo Sabres in 2023-24, yet Kelly McCrimmon gave him a "prove-it" deal. What could possibly go wrong?
Well, nothing actually. You see, dear reader, Olofsson scored 15 goals and 14 assists with the Golden Knights this season. Six of those goals came on the power play, anchoring the NHL's second-best unit (28.3%). Suddenly, McCrimmon has developed a penchant for signing underappreciated guys to "prove-it" deals, making him the master of dumpster diving.
This offseason offers that same opportunity to get some value signings. This time, it's Jesse Puljujarvi who is the obvious steal. First, he's only 27 years old! In fact, his birthday was May 7. A man of that age who's projected to get a one-year deal worth $1 million (according to ScotiaStats) deserves a chance to prove it.
Don't forget that Olofsson is also under 30 years old himself. The 29-year-old showed he can still play at a high level for the Golden Knights, adding a hard shot that can do damage. However, Puljujarvi is slightly different.
How Jesse Puljujarvi is the perfect value signing for the Golden Knights
First and foremost, his nickname is "Pool Party." Yes, it is a real thing. I suggest you go here to look it up.
That alone should garner serious consideration for Kelly McCrimmon to sign him to a prove-it deal. Endless pool parties whenever he scores for the Golden Knights sounds like a fun time to me!
But that's not all the Finnish winger can offer Vegas. He's been a reliable depth scorer in past seasons, scoring 51 goals and 61 assists in six seasons with the Edmonton Oilers. That's because the former first-round pick wasn't afraid to shoot his shot, generating 593 total shots with the Oilers.
Puljujarvi was also a physical specimen with the Oilers, generating 418 hits. That includes three seasons with 100 or more hits, making him a valuable lower-line piece for Edmonton. Now that does come with a caveat: he needs to be careful with how he hits, as proven by his two-game suspension for illegally checking Michael Chafee of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
He's also notorious for getting hurt. A lot. Puljujarvi has had a couple of hip injuries and an arthroscopic procedure in 2019, limiting his time on the ice. Those health issues have taken a toll on his playing time by limiting him to only 53 games in the last two seasons.
Ironically, Tanner Pearson (one year, $775,000 this season) dealt with the same problem in prior seasons. That ranged from upper-body injuries to hand issues (no, not those hand issues). But that didn't stop him from scoring 12 goals and 15 assists this season.
Vegas Golden Knights fans might ignore a player with four goals and six assists. They might even laugh at a player of Puljujarvi's caliber.
But Pearson and Olofsson can attest to the magic of "prove-it" deals. They've proven that value can be an absolute steal if given a system to thrive in. That should be no different for the 27-year-old, who can succeed if Kelly McCrimmon gives him a chance.