The Buffalo Sabres finally took a major step forward this season. This is because they not made the playoffs for the first time since 2011 but also had the best record in the Atlantic Division and made it to the second round of the post-season. Rasmus Dahlin was a major reason for the Sabres' success this season. The 26-year-old defenseman had a monster season, scoring 19 goals and setting new career highs with 55 assists and 74 points in 77 games. He was also named a finalist for the Norris Trophy, but Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski ended up taking it home. Still, it was a spectacular 2025-26 season for Dahlin. Due to this, he has now received some major praise. Dahlin was given the No. 15 spot in The Hockey News' top 100 NHL player rankings [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/top-100-nhl-players-in-2026-11-to-20] for the 2025-26 season. When looking at how dominant he was this season for the Sabres, it is not difficult to understand why he has been ranked as one of the best players in the NHL this season. Dahlin jumped up pretty significantly from last year rankings, too, as The Hockey News had him at the No. 33 spot for the 2024-25 season. Overall, it was undoubtedly a great year for Dahlin. It is going to be fascinating to see what he does as an encore for the Sabres during the 2026-27 season from here.
