The Vegas Golden Knights brought Victor Olofsson in on a one-year deal in 2024-25. The goal was to get some goal-scoring on the cheap, especially after Jonathan Marchessault got his country on in Nashville. How did the Swedish winger do in his first Vegas residency stint?
Well, he scored 15 goals and 14 assists. Not bad for someone signed to a one-year deal worth $1.075 million. Not only that, but he chipped in six goals on the power play, adding even more value to the deal. Chalk up another win for general manager Kelly McCrimmon.
Now? He's scoring power play goals for the Golden Knights in his second go-round. He already has two goals on the man advantage, which lead Vegas. Plus, those two goals are a team high for the Golden Knights, which is a surprising development.
Granted, Pavel Dorofeyev is no longer with the team, as he's perfectly slicing bananas on social media. Believe me, even Mitch Marner was shocked by his sheer cutting skills. But Olofsson is showing that McCrimmon's keen eye for value is keeping the team afloat.
Yes, I know that the season's extremely young and we've only played three games. Things can quickly change on a dime and things like cold streaks and injuries can happen. But one can't deny that the second residency is trending towards being as good as Olofsson's first.
Looking further into Victor Olofsson's quick start with the Vegas Golden Knights
First, Golden Knights fans are familiar with Olofsson's many shots and styles. He's made a living through sniping and being a long-range threat throughout his career. That was especially true when he's on the power play and Vegas is looking for a top-notch threat from the point.
In fact, this season's stats show how proficient Olofsson has been in his given role. Again, it's only three games and things can drastically change. However, the Swedish winger is showing his value through his tremendous shot selection and blistering shot.
Player | Corsi | Fenwick | On-Ice Score Adjusted Expected Goals | On-Ice Score Flurry Adjusted Expected Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor Olofsson | 69% (2nd-best) | 69% (2nd-best) | 77.4% (best) | 77.5% (best) |
As mentioned, his shot selection is vastly underrated. He can pick you apart from afar or up close, making him an incredible threat. But here's the kicker: Not many teams will be focused on him. Instead, they'll focus on bigger stars such as Tomas Hertl, Mark Stone, and Jack Eichel. That's especially true on the power play, where teams will look to neutralize the big names before focusing on a player like Olofsson.
That's where the winger makes them pay. He'll get plenty of support from his teammates, whether it's Hertl in the bumper or Eichel coming from the back. In turn, he can use his shot selection and pick apart the opponent by spotting defensive deficiencies.
Golden Knights fans will remember his injury sustained against the Washington Capitals on October 15, 2024. He scored a power play goal in that game, yet he didn't return for a month. If he sticks around for the entire season? That's great news for the Golden Knights, especially on the power play that has no Dorofeyev.
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