NHL Rumors: Sabres Could Be Shopping Young Sniper

The Buffalo Sabres could be moving on from their young sniper Victor Olofsson this offseason as reported by Lance Lysowski. He says Olofsson could be a trade candidate for them as they try to shape their roster into one that can make the playoffs and compete very soon.

He was a pretty consistent scorer all season other than a 12-game stretch where he recorded just one assist. In 72 games this season Olofsson scored 20 goals for the second time in three seasons and finished with 49 points. He played over 15 minutes a night and bounced around lines as the Sabres were integrating young talent into their lineup throughout the season.

Olofsson is a restricted free agent (RFA) and is 26 years old. He has a great shot that is deadly on the power play. The Sabres have tons of cap space but may not see a spot for him down the line and would like to upgrade some other position using him as trade bait. He will require a raise from his $3.05 million per season he was earning for the past two seasons, but with his ice time has decreased over the past two seasons. The only feasible reason to move this young offensive talent is the lack of room with the prospects now coming into the lineup. They will get a good return for Olofsson and if a team trades for him, they will be able to negotiate a new deal.