The Calgary Flames are in the early stages of what is now appearing to be a full-fledged rebuild. Over the last two months, they have traded Rasmus Andersson, MacKenzie Weegar, and Nazem Kadri. They’ve received just three NHLers in those deals in Zach Whitecloud, Olli Maatta, and Victor Olofsson.
What’s clear by these moves is that the Flames’ main focus, and rightfully so, was to add draft picks and prospects. The players, particularly Maatta and Olofsson, are believed to have been included in these deals for cap purposes. The same has been said about Ryan Strome, who was also acquired at the trade deadline from the Anaheim Ducks for a seventh-round draft pick.
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There is certainly some validity to those opinions. After all, the Flames are a team who is looking towards the future. As part of that effort, general manager (GM) Craig Conroy has kept open plenty of cap space, which has made it no issue for the Flames to take some of these deals back.
Interestingly, of the players mentioned, only Olofsson is set to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) at the end of the 2025-26 season. Whitecloud has an additional two seasons remaining on his contract, as does Maatta. Strome, meanwhile, has one more season left on his deal.
Given that Olofsson is 30-years-old, most have assumed that the Flames will let him walk at season’s end. You can certainly understand that perspective, as it helps open a roster spot for a younger player to step into the lineup next season. That said, it may not be as crazy as some would think to see Olofsson and the Flames work out a short-term extension.
Olofsson Could Become a Valued Asset
Prior to being traded by the Avs, Olofsson found himself with 10 goals and 25 points in 60 games. With numbers like that, it’s easy to see why Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland felt more than comfortable to ship him out in order to make room for Kadri. That said, a big part of his numbers came from a lack of opportunity.
Olofsson was playing just 13:20 through his lone season with the Avalanche. Ice time was tough to come by for the Swedish winger, which doesn’t come as much of a surprise given how loaded their lineup is from top to bottom.
Ice time in general has been hard to come by for Olofsson the past few seasons. That said, the 2024-25 season, one in which he, while still limited, averaged more than a minute more at 14:30, had a respectable 15 goals and 29 points through 54 games with the Vegas Golden Knights. That translates to a 20-goal pace over a full 82-game schedule.
Going back to his time with the Buffalo Sabres, Olofsson reached the 20-goal mark on three occasions, including the 2019-20 season where he did so in just 54 games. His 28 scored during the 2022-23 campaign continues to serve as a career high.
Flames Can Give Olofsson Opportunity
When given the opportunity, Olofsson has proven that he can score at a good clip. He’s had trouble finding top-six minutes in recent seasons, but that came on two much deeper rosters in the Avalanche and Golden Knights. The Flames would easily be able to give him that top-six role he’s produced in before.
With Kadri being traded, Mikael Backlund is currently leading the Flames with 36 points through 64 games. This team is at serious risk of not having a single player reach the 50-point marker. Though some would say this team needs to get more youth in the lineup, having at least one winger or two who can add offence is needed.
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Olofsson was forced to sign a one-year deal this past offseason, and judging by his numbers, his market would be very similar this coming summer. That means that the Flames should be able to get him on a one-year deal. That would then allow him to play big minutes both at even strength and power play. Assuming he can produce, the Flames would then be able to explore moving him for even further assets at next season’s trade deadline.
