Two days after the NHL season officially ended, the Avalanche made their first offseason move.
Colorado acquired Swedish depth wing Fredrik Olofsson from the Dallas Stars on Thursday, trading future considerations to Dallas for the rights to the pending unrestricted free agent. Olofsson will sign a one-year contract with the Avs after coming off a one-year league minimum deal with the Stars, making a $750,000 salary in 2022-23.
Olofsson, 27, was raised in Broomfield with his brothers, Gustav and Jesper. Gustav currently plays for Coachella Valley, the Seattle Kraken’s AHL affiliate. Jesper plays for Monarch High School.
Fredrik Olofsson, a left-handed shot, was Chicago’s fourth-round draft pick (No. 98 overall) in 2014, but he didn’t make his NHL debut until last season. He appeared in 28 games for the Stars. After scoring one goal and three assists in the regular season, he played in two playoff games — both of the Stars’ wins in the Western Conference Finals vs. Vegas.
Olofsson was once a Colorado College commit before attending University of Nebraska-Omaha from 2015-19. He briefly played in the AHL for the Rockford IceHogs after college, then went to Sweden to play two seasons in the SHL before returning to North America. In 37 AHL games for the Texas Stars last season, Olofsson finished with five goals and nine assists.
The trade is Colorado’s first step toward replenishing its organizational forward depth, which was a defining flaw in a first-round playoff exit this April.
