Buffalo Sabres: Is Rasmus Dahlin the Team MVP?

The Buffalo Sabres allowed an inexcusable seven goals to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday night. 

The Buffalo Sabres were forced to play the game without All-Star defenseman, Rasmus Dahlin. They teamed Jacob Bryson with Henri Jokiharju onto the first pairing, and the results were disastrous. The duo logged 25:06 and 22:47 of ice time, respectively, so you can stack a lot of blame onto their shoulders for the 31-shot barrage goaltender Craig Anderson faced over the first two periods.

The duo combined for two hits, one block, and were often caught out of position. Not that the Sabres wouldn’t have had a bad night had Dahlin played, but it shows just how valuable his aggressive style is compared to the conservative approaches from Jokiharju and Bryson.

Is Rasmus Dahlin the Buffalo Sabres MVP?

Neither Jokiharju nor Bryson would be part of the top pairing on most NHL teams. They lack Dahlin’s aggression and neither handle the puck anywhere near as well.

What makes Dahlin so effective is that he solidified his identity as a two-way player. He can hit, block, and he’s also quick to find an open skater down the ice, and he’s rarely out of position on defense.

Dahlin’s value to the Sabres comes in different forms, including taking on some of the game’s best forwards. Something Jokiharju and fellow defenseman Mark Pysyk failed to replicate in the second period, when Patrik Laine and Brendan Gaunce caught them both out of position late in the second en route to a goal that put the Blue Jackets up 5-2.

Jokiharju, Bryson, and the lower pairings continually failed to clear the puck and they found themselves out of position, which of course led to the 31 shots on goal for the Blue Jackets over the first two periods.

At one point in the game, the Blue Jackets outshot the Sabres 16-1. And Columbus isn’t exactly reminiscent of the Edmonton Oilers dynasty years.

We know how valuable Dahlin is on defense, but what about offense? Check out the following numbers:

1. Offensively, he ranks ninth in the league with 25 points since November 25th, and eighth in the league with eight goals.
2. His average ice time of 23:43 leads the Sabres. And it was clear Jokiharju struggled to get through the Columbus game with 25:06 of ice time.
3. He’s currently third on the team with 33 points and first in assists with 25.

Evolving into one of the game’s best puck handlers and two-way players, Dahlin has already shown that he’s in contention as the team MVP. But after Sunday’s debacle, he has further solidified that belief.

(All statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)