Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin made significant strides toward establishing himself as one of the NHL's best defensemen in recent years, but team success lagged behind his individual greatness.
That finally changed during the 2025-26 season. The Sabres overcame a sluggish start to win the Atlantic Division, which clinched their first playoff berth in 15 years. They advanced to the second round of the postseason before being knocked out by the Montreal Canadiens in seven games.
It represented a campaign of immense progress for Buffalo and Dahlin, who finished third in Norris Trophy voting after tallying 74 points (19 goals and 55 assists) in 77 games.
As a result, for the first time, the Swedish superstar cracked an annual list from Peter Baugh and Max Bultman of The Athletic about which NHL players are on a potential path toward the Hockey Hall of Fame, landing in the "check back in a few years" category.
"Last summer, a commenter asked about Dahlin, who wasn't on the list," The Athletic writers noted. "We replied that a playoff appearance or another similar individual season to 2024-25 would probably get him into this tier. Well, the Buffalo Sabres defenseman accomplished both. The 26-year-old finished third in Norris voting, the Sabres made the second round of the playoffs and his Hall of Fame likelihood arrow is pointing up."
We examined the 6-foot-3 blueliner's emerging Hall of Fame case back in early January, and he continued to lay a strong foundation during the remainder of last season.
At this point, there's little doubt Dahlin's numbers will ultimately reach a HOF threshold. He's already up to 434 career points, and his high-IQ style of play combined with smooth skating ability should ensure he's got more than a decade left at hockey's highest level.
If we estimate he'll play another 12 seasons, and use his recent 68.5 points per season (average of the last four years) as a production baseline, he'd end up around 1,250 points. That'd place him inside the top five all-time at the position. Even if he falls short of that number, he's well on his way to at least cracking the 1,000-point mark by the end of his career, which only eight defensemen have done.
From there, he'd probably be a virtual lock to make the Hall, especially if there's at least some team success on top of the individual numbers. That goes for both the Sabres and Team Sweden, which he represents at the international level.
Things are certainly trending in the right direction for Buffalo, which reached the playoffs with one of the league's youngest rosters and also owns one of the sport's best prospect pools.
Having Dahlin signed through 2031-32 at a reasonable salary-cap hit ($11 million AAV) will help the club maintain some financial flexibility moving forward, too.
Stars may align for Rasmus Dahlin to win the Norris Trophy in 2026-27
Another way for the Sabres cornerstone to bolster his Hall of Fame résumé is winning some individual accolades. The Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman is the obvious target, though he also finished ninth in voting for the Hart Trophy as the league's Most Valuable Player last season.
Dahlin had a terrific Norris case, especially if you factor in helping Mattias Samuelsson put together a remarkable offensive breakthrough, but NHL Awards voters tend to make players "climb the ladder" before actually winning the trophy.
Last season's winner, Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets, had earned Norris votes three previous times, including a second-place finish in 2024-25, before finally bringing home the hardware.
Dahlin has now received Norris votes in four straight years, and just finished inside the top five for the first time. At minimum, that puts him firmly in the conversation to open the new season.
Meanwhile, the Sabres lost a key member of their blue line this summer when Bowen Byram was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks, where he signed a massive six-year, $75 million contract extension ($12.5 million AAV) to serve as the Hawks' No. 1 defenseman.
Buffalo didn't fill that void directly. It's hopeful Olen Zellweger, who was acquired from the Anaheim Ducks, can take the next step in his career to assume the role, but legitimate questions about his size (5'10'') and defensive impact mean that's not a guarantee.
In the short term, it means Dahlin will probably see the ice even more in offense-focused situations, especially when the Sabres are trailing late in games.
His ice time, which ranked 20th in the NHL with a 24:11 average in 2025-26, could move closer to the league's top defenders in the 26-minute range. An extra two minutes a night may not seem like much, but that could lead to a noticeable uptick in point production over the course of 84 games.
So, when you combine his consistently strong numbers, a possible increased role and the recent voting trends, the elements are there for Dahlin to capture the Norris Trophy.
It'd move him another step closer to eventual enshrinement in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
Add us as a preferred source on Google