If the Buffalo Sabres are going to make a second straight trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, they're going to need another standout year from captain Rasmus Dahlin.
The 26-year-old defenseman finished third in Norris Trophy voting last season after posting a career-high 74 points (19 goals and 55 assists) in 77 games. He added four goals and 10 helpers across 13 appearances during the club's run to the second round of the 2026 NHL postseason.
It's led to a lot of high praise for Dahlin throughout the summer, and that continued Monday when he was voted as the league's 17th-best player by NHL.com.
"He was an offensive driver for Buffalo, which controlled 52.0 percent of the 5-on-5 shot attempts when he was on the ice, and the puck was in the offensive zone 45.5 percent of the time he was on the ice, which ranked in the 94th percentile among all players, according to NHL EDGE stats."NHL Media
Not only did Dahlin produce at a high level individually, he also played a critical role in the breakout campaign delivered by partner Mattias Samuelsson, who finally delivered the type of all-around play Buffalo had been waiting on for six years.
Dahlin could take on an even bigger role for the Sabres early in the 2026-27 season as head coach Lindy Ruff decides how much responsibility the team's new arrivals on the blue line, Olen Zellweger and Louis Crevier, can handle, especially when it comes to special teams.
More specifically, the 26-year-old Swede ranked seventh among Buffalo defenders last year in penalty killing ice time per game (just 49 seconds). He may be asked to handle more PK minutes until Crevier proves ready to play in those critical situations.
That could push the 2018 No. 1 overall pick closer to the league leaders in ice time. He ranked 19th in the category in 2025-26 (24:11 per game), more than three minutes behind Quinn Hughes of the Minnesota Wild, who led the NHL at 27:44 per contest.
If Dahlin does become a key piece of the Sabres' penalty kill, it'll be another factor working in his favor as he attempts to capture the Norris Trophy for the first time.
Rasmus Dahlin excited about new season after "fun" summer
Last summer, Dahlin was on vacation with his fiancée Carolina when she suffered a medical emergency that required a heart transplant. He made a few trips back to Sweden last season as she continued what has ultimately become a full recovery.
The All-Star defenseman told reporters everything has kept trending in a positive direction, which gave him an opportunity to have a productive offseason.
"Oh, night and day. I can actually focus on hockey and not have to worry every day of what's going on. So that's a big one. It's just nice to have our life back together now. And I'm ready to go. I was able to actually train this summer and grind, so that was fun."Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin
Dahlin earned a nomination for the Masterton Trophy, which is given to the NHL player who best showcases "perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication," at the end of the campaign.
Now, after what sounds like a strong offseason of training, the standout defender has put together a terrific start to training camp and looks primed for another big year.
That's great news for the Sabres, who are faced with an incredibly loaded Eastern Conference, including an Atlantic Division filled with Cup hopefuls, as they attempt to show last season's fourth-place finish in the NHL standings wasn't a fluke.
Dahlin's play will be one of the biggest factors in determining whether Buffalo can remain among the league's elite.
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