Buffalo Sabres forward Rasmus Asplund scored six goals in eight games for Team Sweden at the IIHF Worlds. Did his performance foreshadow things?
Rasmus Asplund has never put up gaudy numbers for the Buffalo Sabres over his three seasons with the team. However, he also never played a full season until 2021-22, so the jury remains out on just how productive he can become.
Yet even during his time with the Rochester Americans, Asplund never impressed offensively, with a career high coming in 2018-19 when he scored 41 points in 75 games, 10 of which were goals. But, we also need to applaud Asplund for his ability on the forecheck, which has continued to define the defensive-minded forward’s game.
Maybe he will never score over 15 to 20 goals per season, but he did show how effective he can be offensively at the IIHF Worlds, with six goals in eight games. Still just 24 years old, his recent success can easily translate to the NHL.
Did Rasmus Asplund’s success at the IIHF Worlds foreshadow things for the Buffalo Sabres?
Asplund tied for fourth with three other players in goals scored (six) at the Worlds, and he had multiple games where he put up at least two goals. Like his Sabres teammate Dylan Cozens (Team Canada), Asplund looked like a different player throughout the tournament, though he was not as consistent.
Also like Cozens, Asplund and Team Sweden played plenty of NHL-caliber and NHL players, meaning the speed of the game was identical to what he played against all season. The tournament gave him an opportunity to further hone his game, and he accomplished just that.
With so much young talent and potential on the Sabres roster heading into 2022-23, expect Asplund to remain in his current defensive-minded role. But you can also expect him to produce more than he did the previous season.
Look for a 15-goal season from Asplund in 2022-23 and 23 assists, good for 38 points. He showed that he can score often in the tournament, and it will translate to the NHL. But, don’t expect him to become a scoring machine.
(Statistics provided by Elite-Prospects)