Chicago Blackhawks forward prospect Fredrik Olofsson will return to the University of Nebraska Omaha for his senior season, he told Scott Powers of The Athletic on Monday.
Olofsson, a fourth-round pick by Chicago in 2014, scored six goals with 14 assists in 33 games during his junior season for the Mavericks. The left winger, who will turn 22 in May, told Powers that he wasn’t offered an entry-level contract by the Blackhawks after his season ended.
Head coach Mike Gabinet led the Mavericks to a 17-17-2 record during his first season behind the bench. Gabinet took over for Dean Blais, who retired after guiding UNO since 2009. The Mavericks advanced to the Frozen Four during Olofsson’s freshman season, but haven’t qualified for the NCAA tournament since or made it past the NCHC tournament quarterfinals.
Olofsson, who stands at 6-foot-2 and 197 pounds, was ranked No. 11 in Second City Hockey’s 2016 “Top 25 Under 25” series, but fell to the honorable mention list in the 2017 edition. He was ranked No. 57 in SB Nation College Hockey’s 2017 Top 100 NHL Prospects in college hockeyt list in college hockey.
Olofsson could decided to become a free agent if he doesn’t sign an ELC with Chicago before the Aug. 15, 2019 deadline.