In collaboration with Upper Deck, The Hockey News will be covering the best active homegrown player for each NHL team. For the Buffalo Sabres, it is Rasmus Dahlin
Most NHL clubs are seeking a defenseman who can anchor their top pairing, play 25 minutes a night, or quarterback their power play, and in Rasmus Dahlin the Buffalo Sabres got the total package.
Dahlin was the presumptive top pick going into his draft year, as the 6’3”, 205 lb. blueliner drew comparisons to Hall of Famer Nicklas Lidstrom and Victor Hedman. The Sabres got a closer look at the big Swede at the 2018 IIHF World Junior in Buffalo, where he had six assists and won a silver medal for Sweden and later that year, selected him with the top overall pick at the 2018 NHL Draft in Dallas.
While his offensive tools and creativity were apparent as a rookie, it took a few seasons for Dahlin to hone his skills at the defensive end of the ice. After scoring 40+ points in his first two seasons, he struggled under former Sabres head coach Ralph Krueger, but flourished under Don Granato, posting a career-high 73 points in 2023 and 20 goals last season.
In October, the Sabres made Dahlin the second-highest-paid defenseman in the NHL (behind only Erik Karlsson), signing him to an eight-year, $88 million contract extension. Granato indicated throughout the season that more than his skills on the ice, the 24-year-old displayed excellent leadership in the locker room, which leads many to believe that at some point before next season he will be named the Sabres next team captain.
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One of the few benefits of missing the playoffs for 13 straight seasons has been the Sabres draft position and selection of top-end talent. Center Dylan Cozens (7th overall pick in 2019) and defenseman Owen Power (1st overall pick in 2021) and already established themselves at the NHL level and like Dahlin, both have signed long-term contract extensions to be a part of the core group that Sabres fans hope will lead Buffalo to their first Stanley Cup title.
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