Buffalo Sabres: Will Rasmus Dahlin build off of a strong 2021-22 season?
By Sion Fawkes
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin turned around his career during Don Granato’s first season with the Buffalo Sabres. Will his success continue?
The Buffalo Sabres definitely have a star defenseman in Rasmus Dahlin. While many consider Tage Thompson to be the team’s breakout player, Dahlin was by far the best on the defensive pairings, so much that he earned a trip to his first All-Star Game.
Overall, Dahlin seemed to get better as the season dragged on, and he enjoyed a career resurgence under head coach Don Granato after toiling for two seasons with Ralph Krueger in charge. Now, fans and pundits want to know whether Dahlin can continue to progress and transform into an elite defenseman, and will it occur this season?
Can Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin play even better in 2022-23?
In 2021-22 Rasmus Dahlin enjoyed a breakout season with the Buffalo Sabres. Here are what his numbers looked like in case you missed them: 80 games, 13 goals, 40 assists, 53 points, 91 blocks, 121 hits, 24:01 ATOI.
Overall, Dahlin looked like the two-way player the Sabres thought they were getting when they drafted him first overall in the 2018 NHL Draft. His 2021-22 campaign was similar, but also an improvement, to what he accomplished during his rookie year in 2018-19 under Phil Housley.
That season, he finished in third place for the Calder Trophy and earned a First Team spot on the NHL’s All-Rookie Team. Now that Dahlin saw a career resurgence, can he string together two fantastic years in a row and potentially compete for the Norris Trophy? Let’s discuss.