Minnesota Wild Prospect Returning To Play In Sweden
Mattias Persson and Johan Svensson of Expressen reported that the Minnesota Wild pending restricted free agent is in the final stages of negotiations with SHL club Frolunda HC, and EliteProspects confirmed the transaction was officially posted.
It is a return home for the 23-year-old Stockholm native and prospect whose NHL development has taken one of the more winding roads in recent draft history.
Selected 28th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2021 NHL Draft, Olausson signed his entry-level contract that August and came to North America instead of returning to HV71 in Sweden, committing to a developmental path through the OHL and AHL.
Five years later, his NHL resume consists of four career appearances, all with Colorado between various recalls from 2022 through 2025, in which he recorded zero points.
The Journey That Brought Him Here
Olausson spent three seasons in the Avalanche organization at the AHL level, showing flashes of the offensive skill that made him a late first-round pick but never producing at a rate that earned a sustained NHL look.
Colorado traded him to the San Jose Sharks last summer for winger Daniil Gushchin.
Välkommen till Frölunda HC, Oskar Olausson!
— Frölunda HC (@frolunda_hc) May 11, 2026
Den 23-årige forwarden kommer närmast ifrån fem säsonger i AHL, har skrivit kontrakt för de två kommande säsongerna och tar över nummer 27.
Läs mer här: https://t.co/25QNIIb8kt pic.twitter.com/rJDoBp6twX
He never appeared in a game for the Sharks before Minnesota acquired him less than three weeks into the season for defender Kyle Masters, adding him to their AHL Iowa squad.
In 63 games with AHL Iowa this season, Olausson posted 12 goals and 29 points, a 0.46 points-per-game pace.
He carries a cap hit of $863,334 on the final year of his entry-level contract, which expires this summer.
What the Frolunda Move Means
If Minnesota issues Olausson a qualifying offer before July 1, they retain his NHL rights through 2030 regardless of whether he plays in Sweden.
That four-year bridge of retained rights is the key detail here.
Oskar Olausson gets the party started for Iowa 19 seconds into the first period. What a goal #mnwild pic.twitter.com/d26U56Vt9V
— Spoked Z (@SpokedZ) February 25, 2026
The Wild have no obligation to chase him back to North America, but the door remains open.
A breakout season in the SHL is entirely plausible for a player with Olausson's skating ability and offensive toolkit, and Frolunda is the same organization that developed countless NHL players before sending them back to North America at higher values.
Photo Credit: Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
