When the Vegas Golden Knights traded two-time leading goal scorer Pavel Dorofeyev to the New York Rangers, they knew they would have to replace his production. Because they aren’t exactly flush with cash— which is part of the reason they traded Dorofeyev in the first place— finding a flashy replacement just wasn’t in the cards.
Instead, the Golden Knights got the most bang for their buck and ended up opting for a cost-friendly reunion. On Wednesday, they signed old friend Victor Olofsson to a one-year contract worth $1,638,330.
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Olofsson, a sniper who will be 31 by the time the season starts, played 56 games for the Golden Knights in 2024-25. He made the most of every opportunity, scoring 15 goals— six of which came on the power play— and added 14 assists. He also added two goals and two assists in nine postseason games.
As a left-shot with a lethal one-timer, Olofsson could slot into Dorofeyev’s old spot on the power play. He’s one of the only pure goal scorers on the team, and has certainly had success there in the past. He established chemistry with both William Karlsson and Tomáš Hertl during his first stint with the Golden Knights, but after this postseason, separating Karlsson from Brett Howden and Mitch Marner feels counterintuitive. So, at 5-on-5, Olofsson will likely reunite with Hertl on the third line.
“We wanted to add someone who has a history of being able to score goals, which Victor does,” said Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon when he met with the media on Wednesday. “We had him, so we know the player. We liked more about his game, then and now, than just the fact that he’s a shooter, but he does bring that skill set to our team. He was responsible, and he’s a smart player. So I think that he’ll find a good spot in our lineup.”
