Rasmus Dahlin may have been the best player on the KeyBank Center ice on Thursday night. The Buffalo Sabres opened their season with a 4-0 loss to the New York Rangers anyway. It's been a common theme throughout the All-Star defenseman's NHL career.
Besides Dahlin, goalie Alex Lyon is the only other member of the Blue and Gold who deserves significant praise. The offseason free-agent addition, called upon because of an injury to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, kept the score 1-0 deep into the third period before the dam finally broke and the Rangers pulled away.
So, let's take a dive into our first installment of the Sabres player grades series, which aims to show which members of the roster are the most consistently effective during the 2025-26 season. Many of them aren't off to a promising start, though it's only a one-game sample size.
Buffalo Sabres player grades from the team's Oct. 9 loss to the New York Rangers
Sabres grades
Player | Grade (1-10) |
|---|---|
Rasmus Dahlin | 9 |
Alex Lyon | 8.5 |
Josh Doan | 7 |
Conor Timmins | 6.5 |
Bowen Byram | 6 |
Jason Zucker | 6 |
Alex Tuch | 6 |
Josh Norris | 5.5 |
Mattias Samuelsson | 5 |
Jiri Kulich | 5 |
Tage Thompson | 5 |
Jack Quinn | 4.5 |
Ryan McLeod | 3.5 |
Justin Danforth | 2.5 |
Ryan Johnson | 1.5 |
Peyton Krebs | 1 |
Mason Geertsen | 1 |
Beck Malenstyn | 1 |
Jacob Bryson | 1 |
Buffalo Player of the Game: Rasmus Dahlin
The Sabres were asked what they were most excited about heading into Thursday night's Home Opener against the Rangers. Most talked about the fans or the chance to play a meaningful hockey game again. Buffalo's captain took a different route.
"To win. To [expletive] win," Dahlin told Justin Alpert of Sabres.com.
That drive to succeed was on full display in Game 1 of 82. The Norris Trophy candidate was all over the ice, making plays in all three zones and producing some of Buffalo's best scoring chances.
Unfortunately, not many of his Sabres teammates showcased the same determination. A lot of them looked like they were going through the motions, while others showed why they were ticketed for reserve roles before injuries struck the Buffalo roster hard in training camp.
Dahlin is an elite talent who can do a lot of heavy lifting for the Sabres, but he can't do it alone. He needs help, and there was a severe lack of it Thursday night.
Sabres quick hits
- Josh Doan was the Sabres' most active forward all night. He generated several high-danger opportunities but just couldn't find the net. The upside was obvious, though.
- Conor Timmins showed why Buffalo targeted him for the third pair. He's a solid defender who does a good job of quickly trying to start quick breaks in transition.
- Jason Zucker played with a physical edge all game, getting into a few scraps in front of the Rangers net. It was energy sorely lacking elsewhere in the lineup.
- Josh Norris was putting together a solid performance before leaving due to injury. The Sabres can't afford for their top-line center to miss an extended period.
- Jack Quinn still looked a stride slow, which is a major concern.
- Peyton Krebs was given a shot on the first line with Zach Benson sidelined. He once again dragged a line down, further solidifying his status as an offensive black hole.
- Jacob Bryson is not an NHL-caliber defenseman. Why do the Sabres keep re-signing him?
- Next up for Buffalo is a trip to face the Boston Bruins on Saturday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET at TD Garden.