Buffalo Sabres: 3 ways Rasmus Dahlin is the team’s best contributor
The Buffalo Sabres drafted defenseman Rasmus Dahlin first overall in the 2018 NHL Draft and he has since evolved into arguably the team’s best player
The Buffalo Sabres waited a few seasons for Rasmus Dahlin to fully emerge. Just last season, Dahlin looked like yet another perennial bust or at best, a gifted underachiever the Sabres have become all too familiar with drafting.
Recently, the Sabres drafted the likes of Casey Mittelstadt, Alexander Nylander, Nikita Zadorov, Zemgus Girgensons, and Mikhail Grigorenko. We can hope Mittelstadt can salvage what little progress he’s shown, while Girgensons is at least serviceable on the lower lines.
However, Grigorenko appeared in just 68 games for the Sabres, Zadorov in 67, and Nylander, 19. We also can’t forget about our infamous friend Jack Eichel, who despite sound performances, never took over games the way the Sabres thought he would. Ditto for Sam Reinhart, and both are long gone from the Sabres.
It’s a proven science that when teams flunk out on first and early-round draft picks, they will suffer in the long-run. One bad early-round pick can set the team back a few seasons. A string of bad picks will set a team back at least a decade. Something the Sabres and their faithful fans are familiar with.
And for a minute, Dahlin looked as though he were embarking on the same path. Just one season ago, Dahlin fell into the “physically-gifted underachiever” category. He showed little improvement from his rookie season until then, and even regressed in the points category.
Enter Don Granato and his “Granato Effect” that brought change in Dahlin. This season, Dahlin became more aggressive, more vocal, and he turned into a player whose leadership qualities stretch beyond his 22 years of age.
Given his rare combination of winning traits augmented with an All-Star appearance, it’s clear Dahlin has evolved into the most complete Buffalo Sabre. Let’s look at three distinguishing traits as to why he’s the team’s greatest contributor.
Two-Day Player
No one rode the bust label more than Dahlin in 2020-21. To be fair, the Sabres struggled in 56 regular season games, but Dahlin’s point total dropped from 40 in 59 games in 2019-20 to 23 in 56 games in 2020-21.
He posted a sickening -36 in the +/- category and converted just 4.3% of his shots. Overall, Dahlin’s offensive prowess went null despite showing more puck control. He also logged more shots on goal than he did in 2019-20, but overall, Dahlin looked no better than a low-tier defenseman on the second pairing.
That all changed in 2021-22, Don Granato’s first full season as the team’s head coach. Granato brought out the best in Dahlin, who now looks like the two-way player the Sabres saw in 2018-19. It was a season where Dahlin finished in third place for the Calder Memorial Trophy while he logged 44 points in 82 games.
Through 62 games in 2021-22, Dahlin is threatening to set a new career-high in points, with 39. He’s taking more chances, having recorded 254 total shots and 136 shots on goal. He has multiple game-winning goals for the first time since his rookie season, and one more goal will notch a new career-high in the scoring category.
Dahlin’s prowess as a two-way player earned him a trip to the NHL All-Star Game, where he put on a respectable performance. While he still struggles with giveaways, he has also minimized them to just over a half per game. And you can expect even fewer giveaways in the future.
Leadership Qualities
This is one category Dahlin has improved in more than any other. And while he’s the one Buffalo Sabre defenseman capable of putting on routine two-way performances, both head coach Don Granato and Dahlin’s teammates noticed a shift in his leadership qualities.
He’s more vocal on and off the ice, something one would expect from a first overall pick looking to take his contributions to the next level. He’s upped his own ante as his statistics and All-Star status has shown. Now, he’s challenging teammates to rise to the occasion. And given the team’s recent performances, it’s safe to say Dahlin has succeeded.
Besides his newfound leadership qualities, Dahlin has even shown he can take over games. Something the likes of Eichel and Reinhart never accomplished. It was on display in a game where the Vancouver Canucks clearly outplayed the Sabres.
Yet Dahlin was the most aggressive player on the ice when the overtime period rolled around. And he only needed 48 seconds to find twine and ensure another overtime win for the Sabres.
Dahlin showed flashes of leadership qualities earlier in the year. But now, he has evolved to the point where his presence on the ice naturally raises the talent of those around him.
Competitive Edge
Like Dahlin’s leadership qualities, his competitive edge has drawn praise from everyone in the organization, from Granato to general manager Kevyn Adams. Before Granato bestowed the Granato Effect onto Dahlin, the defenseman took a more conservative approach to his game. And predictably, Dahlin stagnated.
Granato realized Dahlin had a competitive drive, but was holding it back. In response, Granato had just two words for Dahlin: “Just go.”
And it’s all Dahlin needed to unlock his competitive edge. Here is what Granato said on the matter earlier in the week:
“I felt there was a real competitive burn there I needed to help him unleash where he wasn’t worried about any repercussion from me or what I think, potentially negative.” – via Buffalo Hockey Beat.
Dahlin’s lack of aggression in the past stemmed from fear of disappointment. But Granato said otherwise, assuring Dahlin true competitors disappoint no one. And he’s right. Ultra-competitors, regardless of the sport they play, give their teammates realistic chances to win games.
If they lose, at least they lost doing everything in their power to win. Dahlin finally realizes that. You can see it on display at home or on the road when he shouts encouragement to teammates, and standing instead of sitting when not on the ice.
Rasmus Dahlin has become a different player in 2021-22. His potential has been unlocked. Now, it’s exciting to see what his future holds.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)