Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin finished third in the Norris Trophy race last season, his best result amid a streak of four straight years receiving Norris votes.
Dahlin will enter the 2026-27 campaign as a top candidate for the coveted award once again, but what can he do to overcome the likes of reigning winner Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets and runner-up Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche, among others?
Matt Larkin of Daily Faceoff believes it comes down to making a bigger impact on the penalty kill.
"With the Sabres finally competitive, Dahlin's annual Norris chances are the best they've ever been," Larkin wrote Thursday. "The only thing missing from his profile is a major role on the penalty kill. He averaged the eighth-most shorthanded minutes among Sabres blueliners last season."
The 26-year-old Sweden native has typically played a modest role on Buffalo's PK, which has been the organization's way to keep his minutes at a reasonable level given his leading role in 5-on-5 and power-play situations.
Dahlin ranked 20th in the NHL in average ice time in 2025-26 at 24:11 per game, putting him more than three minutes behind the league leader (Quinn Hughes) and over two minutes below Norris winner Werenski (26:36).
The Sabres may now be forced to put the 2018 No. 1 overall pick on the ice more shorthanded, though.
Bowen Byram, who finished third among Buffalo defenders in penalty killing ice time last season, was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks during the offseason.
Louis Crevier, part of the Byram return package, did gain some PK experience with the Hawks, though the importance of that role is far different on a hopeful Stanley Cup contender compared to a Chicago squad still working through a rebuilding process. Olen Zellweger, another summer addition to the Sabres' blue line, doesn't figure to see many shorthanded minutes.
So, Buffalo's coaching staff, led by Lindy Ruff, could ask Dahlin to take some extra shifts on the penalty kill, especially when protecting a lead in the third period.
The 6-foot-3 superstar is certainly capable of helping fill the PK void and, if the Sabres remain among the NHL's elite clubs in 2026-27, it could push him to the front of the Norris discussion.
Sabres' penalty kill is an area of focus ahead of 2026 training camp
Byram wasn't the only key member of Buffalo's PK to depart over the summer.
Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn, defensemen who both played shorthanded minutes after being acquired in a midseason trade with the Winnipeg Jets, departed in free agency. Up front, Alex Tuch and Jordan Greenway were both dealt away after ranking second and fourth among forwards in penalty-killing ice time, respectively.
That's of particular concern because the Sabres finished fourth in the NHL on the penalty kill last season (81.9%).
So, Ruff and his staff will essentially be starting fresh when it comes to putting together their two PK units.
Here's how they could line up to open camp this month:
Role | Players |
|---|---|
PK1 Forwards | Ryan McLeod, Beck Malenstyn |
PK1 Defensemen | Mattias Samuelsson, Conor Timmins |
PK2 Forwards | Sam Carrick, Zach Benson |
PK2 Defensemen | Rasmus Dahlin, Louis Crevier |
Owen Power is also an option defensively, though he may take on a little heavier workload on the power play without Byram available. Power and Dahlin could ultimately share those PK2 minutes.
Beyond that, Peyton Krebs may need to start making a larger penalty-killing impact after signing a four-year, $18 million contract extension and Justin Danforth figures to make the roster because of his PK abilities, even if it's as the extra forward to open the year.
All told, there are a lot of moving parts for a special-teams unit that was critical to the club's long-awaited breakthrough last season. Making sure a substantial drop off doesn't occur will be crucial.
Dahlin should be part of that equation. His fitness isn't a concern, so there's no reason he couldn't take on a couple more minutes per game to put him among the league leaders. And having him on the ice is almost always a net positive for the Sabres.
All of the factors discussed above make him a likely Norris Trophy winner at some point in his career, even if it doesn't happen in 2026-27.
Add us as a preferred source on Google