Jack Eichel's trigger man is locked and loaded!
Victor Olofsson will avoid his salary arbitration hearing by settling on a new two-year contract with a $3.05M AAV. The two year contract will skate Olofsson into unrestricted free agency.
The Buffalo Sabres now have a rock solid top six forward group that consists of:
Taylor Hall-Jack Eichel-Victor Olofsson
Jeff Skinner-Eric Staal- Samson Reinhart
Olofsson, 25, scored 20G,22A in 54 games during his rookie season.
Olofsson achieved a few noteworthy accomplishements during his rookie season, including:
NHL Rookie of the Month for the months of October and December.
"Goalofsson" also earned a roster spot on teh 2019-20 NHL All-Rookie Team.
Only Chicago Blackhawks rookie winger Dominik Kubalik scored more goals (30) last season than the Sniping Swede.
Olofsson scored 11 goals on the powerplay and added 7 PP assists in 2019-20.
Thanks, Sabres.com
In 2018-19, Olofsson played his first season in North American pro hockey scoring 30 goals and 33 assists in 66 games played. Olofsson's world class "1-T" should be registered with the NHL because its a lethal weapon similar to the one timer of Alex Ovechkin, Steven Stamkos, Patrik Laine and David Pastrnak.
Olofsson’s 20 goals tied for him second among NHL rookies despite missing 15 games due to injury. Olofsson earned All-Rookie Team honors in 2019-2020.
Olofsson's goals per game (.37) ranked seventh in franchise history. His points per game (.78) ranked 10th.
Olofsson was a seventh-round pick out of Frolunda.
Olofsson led NHL rookies in goals (16) and points (35) at the time of his injury, which occurred in early January.
Olofsson was scheduled to meet with the arbitrator on November 4.
With the signings of Olofsson, Linus Ullmark and Samson Reinhart, the Sabres now have $3.5 million in available salary cap space and still have to sign restricted free agent forward Casey Mittelstadt and defenseman Lawrence Pilut.
Stick tap to Kevyn Adams and Ralph Kreuger for avoiding contentious court dates and settling the contracts with player-elected arbitration guys in Samson Reinhart ($5.2M AAV), Victor Olofsson ($3.05M AAV) and Linus Ullmark ($2.6M AAV) for a combined $10.85 million.
I commend Adams for studying the market and arriving at mutually beneficial contract settlements with Reinhart, Olofsson and Ullmark.
By re-signing Reinhart, Olofsson, Ullmark, and the signings of free agents Taylor Hall, Eric Staal, Cody Eakin and Tobias Rieder makes the Sabres are a win-now franchise. This is not a rebuild nor a re-tooling project. The Sabres are a better team today than they were yesterday, last month. Ralph Kreuger has his personnel in place. When the 2021 NHL season begins is another story for another day.
Now that Buffalo’s three player-elected arbitration cases are settled, a second buyout window will open for the Sabres. Will veteran winger Kyle Okposo be bought out?
NHL teams may receive an additional Buyout window. If a team has a player go to arbitration and it is either settled or awarded, the team receives a new 48 hour buyout window beginning 3 days after the arbitration settlement or award. The only contracts that are eligible to be bought out in this window are for player with salary cap hits greater than $4M AAV AND they were on the team's roster at the last trade deadline.
Okposo is a $6 million average annual value.
Thanks, Sabres TV
**
Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), has announced a roster of 46 players who have earned an invitation to Canada’s National Junior Team Selection Camp, set for November 16-December 13 in Red Deer, Alberta.
The players, including five goaltenders, 15 defensemen and 26 forwards, will compete for a chance to represent Canada at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship December 25 to January 5,2021 in Edmonton, Alberta.
Among the 46 players are six returnees who won the gold medal at the 2020 IIHF World Juniors:
Quinton Byfield (Newmarket, Ont./Sudbury, OHL)
Bowen Byram (Cranbrook, B.C./Vancouver, WHL)
Dylan Cozens (Whitehorse, Y.T./Lethbridge, WHL)
Jamie Drysdale (Toronto/Erie, OHL
Connor McMichael (Ajax, Ont./London, OHL)
Dawson Mercer (Bay Roberts, N.L./Chicoutimi, QMJHL).
Canada’s National Junior Team Selection Camp will be held at the Westerner Park Centrium, home of the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League (WHL). To ensure the health and safety of all participants and the community at large, Hockey Canada will be closely following enhanced measures around testing and team protocols.
The selection camp will include practices and three intra-squad games, as well as six games against a team of U SPORTS all-stars, between November 28 and December 13 before the team enters the bubble in Edmonton in preparation for the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship. The camp will take place in a cohort bubble and will be closed to the public and media.
“As we continue to navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic, Hockey Canada has taken important steps to maintain the health and safety of our National Junior Team athletes and staff, as well as the community at large, during selection camp and throughout the World Juniors,” said Tom Renney, chief executive officer of Hockey Canada. “As much as we would enjoy allowing fans into the building to support Team Canada throughout the camp, we need to be responsible as we look to keep all parties safe before teams enter the bubble in Edmonton.”
The 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship begins on Christmas Day with three games before Canada kicks off its tournament schedule on Dec. 26 against Germany at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.
Buffalo Sabres 2020 first round pick Jack Quinn (8th overall) has been invited to the tryout camp as well.
Here are your Team Canada camp invitees:
Name S/C Ht. Wt. Born Hometown Club Team NHL Draft
Goaltenders
Brett Brochu L London (OHL) 2021 Draft
Dylan Garand L Kamloops (WHL) NYR 2020 (4/103)
Taylor Gauthier R Prince George (WHL) 2021 Draft
Tristan Lennox L Saginaw (OHL) 2021 Draft
Devon Levi L Northeastern U. (HE) FLA 2020 (7/212)
Defense
Justin Barron R Halifax (LHJMQ) COL 2020 (1/25)
Bowen Byram L Vancouver (WHL) COL 2019 (1/4)
Lukas Cormier L Charlottetown (LHJMQ) VGK 2020 (3/68)
Jamie Drysdale R Erie (OHL) ANA 2020 (1/6)
Kaiden Guhle L Prince Albert (WHL) MTL 2020 (1/16)
Thomas Harley L Mississauga (OHL) DAL 2019 (1/18)
Daemon Hunt L Moose Jaw (WHL) MIN 2020 (3/65)
Kaedan Korczak R Kelowna (WHL) VGK 2019 (2/41)
Mason Millman L Saginaw (OHL) PHI 2019 (4/103)
Ryan O’Rourke L Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) MIN 2020 (2/39)
Owen Power L U. of Michigan (Big Ten) 2021 Draft
Matthew Robertson L Edmonton (WHL) NYR 2019 (2/49)
Braden Schneider R Brandon (WHL) NYR 2020 (1/19)
Donovan Sebrango L Kitchener (OHL) DET 2020 (3/63)
Jordan Spence R Moncton (LHJMQ) LAK 2019 (4/95)
Forwards
Adam Beckman L Spokane (WHL) MIN 2019 (3/75)
Mavrik Bourque R Shawinigan (LHJMQ) DAL 2020 (1/30)
Quinton Byfield L Sudbury (OHL) LAK 2020 (1/2)
Graeme Clarke R Ottawa (OHL) NJD 2019 (3/80)
Dylan Cozens R Lethbridge (WHL) BUF 2019 (1/7)
Tyson Foerster R Barrie (OHL) PHI 2020 (1/23)
Gage Goncalves L Everett (WHL) TBL 2020 (2/62)
Ridly Greig L Brandon (WHL) OTT 2020 (1/28)
Dylan Holloway L U. of Wisconsin (Big Ten) EDM 2020 (1/14)
Seth Jarvis R Portland (WHL) CAR 2020 (1/13)
Peyton Krebs L Winnipeg (WHL) VGK 2019 (1/17)
Hendrix Lapierre L Chicoutimi (LHJMQ) WSH 2020 (1/22)
Connor McMichael L London (OHL) WSH 2019 (1/25)
Dawson Mercer R Chicoutimi (LHJMQ) NJD 2020 (1/18)
Alex Newhook L Boston College (HE) COL 2019 (1/16)
Jakob Pelletier L Val-d’Or (LHJMQ) CGY 2019 (1/26)
Cole Perfetti L Saginaw (OHL) WPG 2020 (1/10)
Samuel Poulin L Sherbrooke (LHJMQ) PIT 2019 (1/21)
Jack Quinn R Ottawa (OHL) BUF 2020 (1/8)
Jamieson Rees L Sarnia (OHL) CAR 2019 (2/44)
Cole Schwindt R Mississauga (OHL) FLA 2019 (3/81)
Xavier Simoneau L Drummondville (LHJMQ) 2021 Draft
Ryan Suzuki L Saginaw (OHL) CAR 2019 (1/28)
Philip Tomasino R Oshawa (OHL) NSH 2019 (1/24)
Shane WrightR Kingston (OHL) 2022 Draft
Connor Zary L 6’0” 180 09/25/01 Saskatoon, Sask.
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