The Colorado Avalanche have made a significant roster move by reassigning forward Oskar Olausson to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, as officially announced by the team on Thursday. Olausson, a first-round pick by the Avalanche in the 2021 NHL Draft, has faced challenges in transitioning to the professional level since concluding his junior career in 2022. In his AHL stint spanning 83 games dating back to the previous season, he managed to tally 28 points.
Despite starting the current season in the minors, Olausson was recalled by the Avalanche earlier this week. He made an appearance in Tuesday’s game against the Ducks, logging 11 minutes and 50 seconds of ice time alongside Ross Colton and Mikko Rantanen, registering two shots on goal. However, the 21-year-old forward’s performance hasn’t lived up to the expectations set during his junior career, leading to his reassignment.
Olausson, who was once ranked as high as 13th overall by some scouts prior to the 2021 draft, entered the league as a consensus late-first/early-second-round pick. While he has yet to showcase his full potential at the professional level, there is still optimism about his development. Standing at 6 feet 2 inches and weighing 181 pounds, Olausson has the physical attributes to make an impact in the future.
The Avalanche organization is hopeful that the stint in the AHL will provide Olausson with the confidence needed to reignite his game with the Colorado Eagles. Prior to his recent call-up, Olausson had only managed one assist in his last five AHL games.
As Olausson is currently in the first season of his entry-level contract, having been slide-eligible for the previous two seasons, he carries a cap hit of $863,333. The Swedish winger is slated to become a restricted free agent in 2026, offering the Avalanche a window of opportunity to witness his development and potential contributions to the team.
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