Rasmus Dahlin is playing some of the best hockey of the season for the Buffalo Sabres and will be looking to take that momentum into the Olympics in a few weeks. Recently, he did an interview with hockeysverige.se to talk about the upcoming Olympics and what he is expecting, including potentially being on the top pair.
"I am absolutely ready for such a role. But then we have extremely good defenders, I will take the role I get and if it goes as written, I am ready for it," Dahlin said.
Rasmus Dahlin is positioned to be on the top pair in a strong blueline for Team Sweden
Entering the tournament, the strength of this country's roster is certainly its blueline. Rasmus Dahlin is joined by Victor Hedman, Erik Karlsson, Rasmus Andersson, and Gustav Forsling. One of the big questions, though, is Hedman's availability, as he has played only 18 games this season.
However, he is expected to return on Sunday for the Tampa Bay Lightning and could play on Tuesday against his teammate in the Olympics when the Buffalo Sabres come to town.
If Hedman is recovered and back to full strength, then a pair of him and Dahlin makes a lot of sense as their top pair. Team Sweden only has two right-handed defensemen, so they are going to need someone to move to the right. For Dahlin, this won't be too hard, as he has been tasked with playing on that side for the Sabres, even though he is a left-handed shot.
This won't be Dahlin's first Olympics, but he will have a much different spot in the lineup from the first time. The last time he was in the Olympics was in 2018 as a 17-year-old, and he played in two games and secured an assist over that span.
This time around, though, he is expected to log big minutes and be a leader for the defense, very similar to what he is able to bring to the Buffalo Sabres. He is entering the Olympics playing some of his best hockey with 15 points in the past 11 games, including a hat trick against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
If he continues to play like this, Team Sweden has a good chance to make a run at Gold in the Olympics.