Here are the facts: Rasmus Dahlin wants to stay with the Sabres, and he even said it. For now, at least. This should come as no surprise for fans of the Blue and Gold, as Dahlin has acted about as different as he could from, say, former Blackhawks blueliner, Seth Jones.
But that doesn’t mean Paul Bissonette of Spittin’ Chiclets is giving up, even if his comments regarding Dahlin wanting to potentially leave Buffalo should things not turn around, at this time, are completely baseless. Now, I like Bissonette. He’s an entertaining podcaster, he’s gone further in pro hockey than many, and he’s deservedly one of the most respected influencers out there. But he’s missed the mark here.
Bissonette discussed the topic again on The Sheet show with Jeff Marek, and when the topic came up, Bissonette said “I’m just repeating what I heard. I said ‘apparently.’ I personally, I don’t really care. Like, that’s kind of where I’m at.
”And I mean, you got to think, though, with what’s going on (in Buffalo) and how quality of a player Dahlin is — I mean, he’s got (six) years left on his deal. Do you think this guy’s going to put up with this for much longer?”
Heard from whom, might I ask? On Spittin’ Chiclets, Bissonette said, “The people who really, really matter.” Look, it’s one thing to ‘repeat what you heard,’ as every single one of us is guilty of it. And unless I completely missed something, could you at least have been more specific on the source?
There’s zero doubt that Rasmus Dahlin’s committed to the Sabres…for now…
At this point, I don’t know if I’d be willing to believe anything Bissonette says regarding Dahlin unless I missed the mark and he did share a more specific source. But he could’ve spoken with a random insider who speculated that Dahlin is frustrated and wants to leave the City of Good Neighbors.
All I’m asking for is a more specific source and nothing more. So, please, Paul, share the source, because ‘repeating what you heard’ even from an insider is about as baseless as they come.
To top everything off, Bissonette also said in that same episode of The Sheet show with Jeff Marek, “There’s got to be a boiling point at some time. His talents are going to waste right now. He’s a world-class defenseman. There are plenty of teams out there who could use a number-one D-man.”
Right now, here’s my thought process: Bissonette, for one reason or another, claimed Dahlin wanted out of Buffalo if things don't improve based on hearsay. Dahlin and the Sabres deny this, yet he repeats what is, at most, a baseless claim with a baseless justification, then goes on to speculate an inevitable “boiling point.” Something that, sooner or later, is bound to occur if the Sabres keep playing bad hockey, and that's just common sense.
Until a few more sources claim otherwise, let’s assume Dahlin’s staying
In the world of sports (and other realms), there’s something out there called ‘cross-referencing.’ This means if one outlet states a rumor, then it’s easier to verify that said rumor is true when another outlet or two states a similar rumor.
As for Paul Bissonette and to my knowledge as of Thursday afternoon, no other credible outlet has picked up on the claim that Dahlin wants out of Buffalo should the organization fail to turn things around fast. So, if or when that occurs, Sabres fans, do yourself a favor and stop worrying if this claim’s gotten to you.
While I have no doubt Dahlin and the rest of the team aren’t happy with their performance this season, it looks like, for the moment, he’s willing to wear a blue and gold uniform until further notice. Now, if the Sabres keep regressing, then okay, I’ll agree with Bissonette and say that yeah, he’ll get closer to that “boiling point.”
But let’s be real: Wouldn’t every player wearing a blue sweater feel the exact same way? No, they don’t carry Dahlin’s leverage or influence, but there will be a few grumbles going on from other impact players this team has, such as Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson.