Buffalo Sabres forward Rasmus Asplund played in more games this season than he did in the previous two years combined and he may have found his niche.
Despite missing the playoffs, the Buffalo Sabres are coming off their most unforgettable season in a decade. And so many players showed improvement from October 2021 to April 2022, finding a role on one of the NHL’s youngest but most exciting franchises.
Rasmus Asplund is one of those players. And despite modest offensive output, he is yet another reminder that sometimes productivity doesn’t always show up on the stat sheet. Asplund did a lot of good things this past season, and he can be a permanent part of the roster from 2022-23-onward.
Buffalo Sabres forward Rasmus Asplund had a quiet, yet productive season
An effective defensive-minded forward, Asplund especially excelled on the forecheck. His effectiveness allowed him to become the catalyst for creating offensive opportunities, which was further juxtaposed by his on-ice awareness.
Few on the Buffalo Sabres found their teammates as quickly as Asplund. And he also had a knack for locating open areas to further contribute to scoring plays. Even if those contributions were null on the stat sheet.
He can read and diagnose plays as well as anyone on the ice, and it culminated with an average of 14:17 of ice time in 80 games this season. His statistics weren’t eye-popping, but Asplund at least found a possible role on this team.
Will he contribute more in the points category? One upside is that Asplund built good chemistry with most of his line mates, regardless of whose line he is part of. Another positive is that he will turn 25 when the 2022-23 season rolls around, so he has a lot of time to improve his offensive production.
At worst, Asplund is a role player whose defensive ability, outstanding awareness, and passing skills will organically improve. This makes him an ideal third or fourth-liner. He may never develop into a star, but Asplund can at least maintain a valuable role on the team.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)