Buffalo Sabres winger Victor Olofsson, who scored a career-low eight goals this season, will represent Team Sweden at the upcoming World Hockey Championship.
The Sabres are expected to let Olofsson, 28, leave as an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Players who have expiring contracts often don’t want to risk injury and turn down invitations to the tournament. Sabres defenseman Henri Jokiharju and goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, both of whom can become restricted free agents, said last week they passed on representing Team Finland next month in Czechia.
Olofsson, however, needs to play games and prove his career-worst season was an aberration.
Fresh off scoring a career-high 28 goals in 2022-23, he struggled all season, mustering a career-low 15 points in 51 games. He lost his spot in the lineup in late December and only played regularly again after the Sabres traded captain Kyle Okposo in early March.
While he was expected to have a spot over the final five weeks, Olofsson became a healthy scratch again earlier this month.
Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin said last week he will also play for Sweden.
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The Rochester Americans will open their best-of-five AHL North Division semifinal series against the Syracuse Crunch at 7:05 p.m. Friday in Blue Cross Arena.
The Amerks have won four series in the Calder Cup Playoffs over the past two years. Last season, they advanced to the Eastern Conference final.
The rest of the Amerks’ first-round schedule:
– Sunday, Game 2: Syracuse at Rochester, 3:05 p.m., Blue Cross Arena
– May 2, Game 3: Rochester at Syracuse, 7 p.m., Upstate Medical Arena
– *May 4, Game 4: Rochester at Syracuse, 7 p.m., Upstate Medical Arena
– *May 10, Game 5: Syracuse at Rochester, 7:05 p.m., Blue Cross Arena
*If necessary
