@boosbuzzsabres
In this series we build the 2019-20 Buffalo Sabres roster one by one leading up to the season opener on October 3.
LHD--Rasmus Dahlin
19 yrs. old
6'3" 190 lbs.
2018 first-overall
Career Stats: 82 games | 9 goals | 35 assists | 44 points | -13
Picture yourself as an 18 yr. old defenseman from across the pond coming to the National Hockey League with a team that just finished last in the league. For most, being a teenager transitioning to adulthood was difficult enough but Rasmus Dahlin successfully did just that last season. The first-overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft came to North America after playing two pro seasons in his native Sweden and jumped right into the fire of the NHL.
Dahlin was touted as a franchise defensemen with some using the word 'generational' and calling him the best d-prospect since Denis Potvin. As we got a glimpse of him during Buffalo's Prospect Challenge and deep into training camp, we began to see first-hand why he was touted as such. With fluid skating and the poise of a veteran, Dahlin made all those projections come to life and left most in awe of his potential.
The Sabres did well in easing Dahlin into the lineup last season. He began on the second pairing playing his off-side alongside fellow left-hander Jake McCabe with his role fluctuating through much of the season. His and the team's best run came in November when he and veteran Zach Bogosian anchored the second-pair during the Sabres franchise-tying 10-game winning streak. The duo would play a few games as Buffalo's top-pair before injuries and coaching decisions mixed things up while the team was searching for a two-game winning streak. Although Dahlin would see some games on the third pairing the rest of the way, he was found mostly on the second pairing.
Head coach Phil Housley had a helluva time trying to figure out what he ultimately wanted to do on defense and his constant changes after a loss ultimately proved to be a disservice to the players. Those changes came often as the team did not win two games in a row from December 11-13 to the final two games of the season, a span of 48 games which was a franchise record. During that dubious streak Dahlin played with many partners and managed to hold his ground with a stat-line of six goals and 20 assists but his plus/minus took a dive as he was a minus-20 during that span.
Early season struggles happened with some frequency as he was learning about the speed of the players as well as the in's and out's of playing on North American sized rinks. One thing he didn't have too much of a problem with was the speed of the game as his elite hockey IQ and skating allowed him to grasp the pace quickly and fairly easily. There were numerous times when Dahlin would get beat as he misjudged an opponents speed and took the wrong angle however he was often strong on his recovery and many times got back into the play.
After one full season in the NHL, the now 19 yr. old believes he has a much better grasp of the league. "I feel more prepared. I feel more mature," he said in an interview with the Associated Press last week. "Like that one year of experience, I know what's coming this season. I feel more comfortable in my position."
Comfortable to the point where he made a bold prediction--"We're going to be a winning team and be in the playoffs," he said.
Making the playoffs this season will be a huge task as the Sabres not only still have holes and question marks in their lineup, but they're in a tough Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference has gotten much stronger.
Dahlin is putting a lot of pressure on himself and he says his teammates are doing the same. They'll be entering the 2019-20 season with a new head coach in Ralph Krueger and as for Dahlin, he bulked up a bit and is raring to go after arriving early for training camp next month. They'll be ready to turn the page on a season that went sour and that new page on defense begins with Rasmus Dahlin anchoring the Sabres blueline.
Building the 2019-20 Buffalo Sabres roster:
LW, Jeff Skinner /
C, Jack Eichel/
RW, Sam Reinhart
LHD, Rasmus Dahlin
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