Rasmus Dahlin became the Buffalo Sabres' best defenseman almost immediately after being drafted first overall in the 2018 NHL Draft. He has been with the Sabres for eight seasons and is on track to play in the first playoff game of his career this season.
However, that might not be the only first for the Sabres' defenseman, as he has been playing incredibly well as of late and has made a strong case to be in the discussion for the Norris Trophy. When looking at who has to beat out, it likely comes down to two players he is chasing in Cale Makar with the Colorado Avalanche and Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The season stats for the three players paint a picture where Makar and Werenski are clearly ahead of Dahlin in most stats.
Season Stats
Games Played | Points | +/- | Blocked Shots | Hits | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rasmus Dahlin | 61 | 60 | +9 | 71 | 56 |
Cale Makar | 63 | 66 | +33 | 102 | 31 |
Zach Werenski | 57 | 68 | +3 | 74 | 25 |
The narrative shifts, though, over the past two months, as there hasn't been anyone playing better than Rasmus Dahlin. He has particularly taken it to another level in the past two games, where he has combined for six points after having five assists and a goal in the games against the San Jose Sharks and Tampa Bay Lightning.
Stats since January 12th
Games Played | Points | +/- | Blocked Shots | Hits | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rasmus Dahlin | 22 | 31 | +21 | 20 | 25 |
Cale Makar | 19 | 15 | +3 | 28 | 10 |
Zach Werenski | 16 | 21 | +0 | 17 | 6 |
The fact that it isn't even really close when looking at the stats for these three players over roughly a quarter of the season shows just how good Dahlin has been. He has the best points per game average at 1.41, and the only category he is not first in is blocked shots, with Makar eight ahead of him.
Rasmus Dahlin could be the first Buffalo Sabres' player to win the Norris Trophy
Over the past three seasons, Dahlin has finished with votes for the Norris Trophy but hasn't really been close. Last season, he was the closest he has gotten to sixth but was 15th in 2023-24 and eighth in 2022-23.
However, with how the Buffalo Sabres have been playing, he should get more recognition as the best player on arguably the best team in the NHL right now.
The key for Dahlin is whether or not he can keep this pace up, as he hasn't won the trophy but was just able to get back into the discussion with his recent performance. The Sabres still have 17 regular-season games left, and if Dahlin can keep this pace through the remainder of the season, he not only will set a career-high in points at 78 but might be the first Buffalo Sabres player to win the trophy for the best defenseman.