Buffalo Sabres defenseman impresses at NHL Skills Competiton

Dec 4, 2021; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (26) takes a first period shot against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 4, 2021; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (26) takes a first period shot against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

Rasmus Dahlin represented the Buffalo Sabres at the NHL Skills Competition

Fans of the Buffalo Sabres have something to be proud of after defenseman Rasmus Dahlin looked lethal at the NHL Skills Competition in the Honda NHL Accuracy Shooting Contest. Dahlin converted four of six shots in just 17.205 seconds, fourth among other participants.

Sebastian Aho of the Carolina Hurricanes won the challenge with 10.937 seconds, edging out Jake Guentzel of the Pittsburgh Penguins by 1.1 seconds. At 13.491 seconds, Troy Terry of the Anaheim Ducks recorded the third-fastest time.

Here’s a look at Dahlin’s performance:

Buffalo Sabres defenseman impresses with accuracy shooting

After his strong showing at the Skills Competition, Dahlin will take the ice on Saturday to help the Atlantic Division secure its first-ever All-Star Game victory. A two-way player, Dahlin earned his first trip to the NHL All-Star Game after posting respectable numbers on both the offensive and defensive sides of the puck.

With 28 points in 44 games, Dahlin is on-pace to set a new career-high in the category. He’s also on-pace to shatter his previous career-high of nine goals scored, a milestone he set during his rookie season in which he became a nominee for the Calder Trophy. 

On defense, Dahlin has 59 hits, 14 takeaways, and 24 giveaways. While not on-pace to set a new career milestone in the takeaway department, Dahlin has cut down substantially in the giveaway department, averaging just over 1/2 a giveaway per game, down from .642 per game in 2020-21.

Dahlin has improved each season since hearing his name called at number one overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. He also leads a phenomenal nucleus of young Sabres on both sides of the ice that include the likes of Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs, Jack Quinn, Henri Jokiharju, Tage Thompson, Dylan Cozens and Casey Mittelstadt, to name a few.

The 2022 NHL All-Star Game begins at 3pm. The Sabres will return to action on February 10th at home against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

(All statics courtesy of Hockey-Reference)