Oskar Olausson's ability to go with the flow has helped him to stay the course

Starting this last summer, Oskar Olausson’s life has been a whirlwind of one event after the other. In July Olausson, joined by a draft class made up of Owen Power, Matty Beniers, and Luke Hughes, was selected 28th overall and is one of three Swedish first-round draft picks throughout Avalanche history. One is Jonas Johansson, and the other? Gabriel Landeskog.

He has represented Sweden on an international stage at U17, U18, and U20 levels.  While with the U18 team, he won a bronze medal for Sweden at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in 2019. He was able to improve upon a quiet, point-less 2021 showing with a brief but promising appearance for Sweden this past December before the tournament was canceled due to Covid-19. He had a goal and an assist through the only two games that were played.

He signed an entry-level contract with the Avalanche last August and committed to playing his first year in North America in the OHL with the Barrie Colts. In September, he reported to the Rookie Faceoff tournament held in Arizona and played wing on the top line alongside Alex Newhook at center and Shane Bowers. Following the tournament, he immediately came to Colorado for development camp and it left quite the impression on him.

“[It was an] amazing experience. To come out to Colorado and meet all the staff and [with] all of the team there – it was incredible. I started at Rookie Development Camp and then up to big camp with the main guys. It was amazing,” said Olausson.

When reflecting on the year he’s had, he recalled one of his best memories.

“It was when I was in Colorado,” he revealed. “The big game in Vegas, a big crowd – it was amazing.”

He scored a goal in that Vegas game. He joined Val Nichuskin on the rush and gave viewership a glimpse at a quality you’re not going to stop hearing about – his shot. Olausson had two goals in preseason leaving many excited for what’s to come for this young player.

He is a mobile skater who can slide in and out of tight spaces, carrying the puck to scoring areas. This quality is observed in his play but also his adaptability outside of the rink. Fast-changing environments and circumstances have crept into his hockey environment for a while now.

His former club in Sweden, HV71, was relegated to Hockeyallsvenskan from the SHL after losing the relegation series versus Brynäs last April. The decision to come to Canada for juniors following these changes felt inevitable. He was drafted three months later, able to look ahead at a future within an organization he is excited about. 

“Yeah, it’s a big difference. Everything happens faster. I started with the NHL [players] and then I went back [up] for juniors, so that was an adjustment to play with juniors again,” he said of getting accustomed to North American ice at the start of this season.

He began his season with the Barrie Colts in October. Opting to wear #21, though I learned it was not because of Peter Forsberg, he found success on the top line alongside Ethan Cardwell and Evan Vierling. He put up an impressive 25 points in 22 games, averaging 1.14 PPG. In December, he was selected to represent Team Sweden in World Juniors though the experience was cut short due to the pandemic mentioned earlier.

He will get the chance to play in Rogers Place this August during the rescheduled games.

A short while after his World Juniors jaunt, he was traded to the Oshawa Generals on January 7th. He didn’t immediately report to the team, joining Oshawa about a week later to begin anew. In his first game on January 15th, he registered a goal and an assist. He would have two hat tricks in February making for his third hat trick this season – the other happened earlier in the year with the Colts.

“I was coming back from World Juniors. I gave the same [effort] right from the beginning and once I started to get into it, things started to go a bit better again,” he said of the initial transition.”

“Everything was new. I needed to change [to a new] billet family, needed to get new teammates, and new staff and all of that. I think the team has helped me a lot and the billet family is good here too. It was a big adjustment.”

A struggling Oshawa team finished 6th in the Eastern Conference going 30-31-2. His performance still showed promise following the trade though consistency proved a challenge. He would go 3 to 4 games without registering a point on a few occasions during his time with Oshawa. He saw varied utilization primarily on the 2nd or 3rd line though he received top-line opportunities too. He ended the regular season with 24 points in 33 games for the Generals and a total of 49 points between his time with both teams, and he was a proven mainstay on the Generals’ powerplay often playing bumper.

As a team, Oshawa struggled greatly, going on a seven-game losing streak with a 2-8-2 record across 12 games in February and March. This led to a change in leadership as Todd Miller was relieved of his coaching duties and assistant coaches Kurtis Foster and Mike Hedden stepped up in his place.

He also missed a little bit of time with a minor shoulder injury near the end of the regular season though he says he is all better now. In spite of the challenges and changes, he has many tools that will help him to succeed at the next level that are only bolstered by his ability to go with the flow. It wasn’t hard for him to keep a positive mindset and focus throughout all of the changes this past season.

For him it was simple.

“It’s just hockey,” Olausson said. “Go out there and play, have fun, and work hard. I think that’s it.”

The Generals have begun the first round of their playoff series against the Kingston Frontenacs. Kingston, who finished 3rd in the Eastern Conference, currently leads the series 3-1, but Oshawa’s Game 3 win kept them in it.

He has one assist in the series so far and was a go-to guy for the final minute and a half in Game 2 with the goaltender pulled in an effort to tie the game.

He shared that he will report to the Colorado Eagles when his junior season is finished with the Oshawa Generals, which could come as early as today.

He will be greeted in Loveland by familiar faces as he made friends with his countrymen during the preseason experiences in Arizona and Colorado.

“The Swedes – I [would] hang out with them a lot – Andreas Englund and Andreas Wingerli.”

The Colorado Eagles will begin their playoff run at home next Wednesday though their opponent is not yet known. The AHL will finish out the remainder of their regular season this weekend.

Colorado has kept a close eye on his season too. Director of Player Development Brian Willsie has been in close contact with him and Craig Billington traveled to watch him play about a month ago.

Olausson said his shot is his greatest strength as a player – his wrist shot specifically.

That shot you won’t stop hearing about carries versatility. Whether a wrist shot or backhand from the peripheral or right outside the crease, his shot is a high-end threat. It’s less about the power behind it and more about the accuracy it can hold. When paired with a talented puck distributing center, many possibilities are unlocked for him.

This also reveals an area for improvement in his own passing abilities and knowing when to find the passing lane or take the shot. It’s something he has improved on throughout this year. There may be concerns about a player of his caliber playing bumper on the powerplay, but this has helped him to find guys quickly.

He’s a talented puck carrier and generally protects the puck well. With his speed and dynamic skating, he finds himself able to enter the offensive zone in a number of ways. At 6’2″ 184 lbs., he’s not worked off the puck easily and his problems occur more so in the decisions he makes away from it.

The excitement to see what’s next for him is mutual – he admitted he watches the current Colorado Avalanche team and described them as amazing.

We can soon realize how this shot will translate to the professional level. The last year has lacked stability for Oskar Olausson. There is work to be done, but Colorado has a lot to offer him in his development as he begins his pro hockey journey soon.