The 23-year-old is feeling more mature and confident in his skill set entering his first full year with the Capitals.
ARLINGTON, V.A. — For Rasmus Sandin, the Washington Capitals have been the perfect landing spot. The 23-year-old defenseman is playing top-pairing minutes, learning the ropes from countrymate and childhood idol Nicklas Backstrom and playing with confidence. Still, as he reflects and sits in his stall following practice, he admits there's more work to be done.
That mentality is exactly what has the Swede poised to break out going into his sixth NHL season, and for him, it's all about patience and going with the flow while sticking to his game plan.
"Just hard work and trusting the process a little bit," Sandin said. "I'm young. The season's not just kind of straight up. Sometimes it's gonna be some setbacks and stuff."
Starting the year in D.C. and getting a fresh start, Sandin sees a different player, one that's more confident and sure of himself. It's something he didn't see a few months back, and he's looking forward to continuing the upward trend as he hopes to remain with the Capitals long-term.
"I feel like now, I'm a little bit more mature," Sandin said. "Maybe been around the league for a little bit longer. I feel like I can handle that in a better way... I'm excited."
His teammates have also taken notice.
"Great guy, great player. It feels like he's developing a lot. He's playing right beside John [Carlson]," Backstrom, who introduced him to the team and still hosts him for dinners, said. "He's so skilled with the puck and he can skate and do everything."
"I think he's a fantastic player... Ras has got unbelievable hands. Not everyone's gonna stand at the blue line and make the moves that he does," Carlson added.
Of course, having Carlson as a defensive partner doesn't hurt, but he's also been learning a lot from Backstrom, who has taken him under his wing on and off the ice.
"It's one of the greatest Swedes that ever played. It's one of the guys that I looked up to growing up and still do, so that's huge for me," Sandin said, adding, "He's an unbelievable leader... he made me feel comfortable."
Moving forward, Sandin wants to continue expanding on his skill-set. While he's getting the responsibility and trust that he didn't get during his time with the Maple Leafs, he knows that he needs to remain consistent to hold onto every opportunity.
"I need to deliver," Sandin said. "You know, be good in practice, be good in games to stay in that [top] spot. We got good defensemen here, so it's up to me."