Dahlin ignores buzz, says he’s not made roster yet
Rasmus Dahlin nods his head acknowledging he’s familiar with the name when Scotty Bowman comes up in conversation. The 18yearold is then taken aback upon hearing what the Hockey Hall of Fame coach had to say about the rookie defenseman for the Buffalo Sabres.
For all the accolades the Swedishborn player received upon being drafted first overall in June, Dahlin paused briefly upon hearing the ninetime Stanley Cupwinner believes he has the potential to be the best defenseman in Sabres’ history.
“Of course that’s fun to hear, but I’m just 18yearsold and I have many years in front of me,” Dahlin said. “I can’t think in that way. I just need to work as hard as I can to be as good as I can.”
Moments later, Dahlin noted he still hasn’t even made the roster yet. “We’ll see,” he said. Perhaps someone in the Sabres’ frontoffice might want to break the good news by informing Dahlin his spot is secure for Buffalo’s opener against Boston on Thursday. Bowman had little doubt after watching Dahlin during a prospects tournament earlier this month; Dahlin wowed the 1,800 fans packing the Sabres practice facility by fearlessly jumping into the rush and showing off his playmaking abilities with two goals and an assist against New Jersey.
His first goal came after he danced around a defender and snapped a shot through a crowd. The second came on a twoonone break, during which he raced into the left circle to convert a rebound.
“He’ll have some growing pains, but he’s got a terrific shot,” Bowman told The Associated Press. “He’s got what they call a nose for the net. Bobby Orr did that.”
Bowman, who spent sixplus seasons coaching in Buffalo, then ran down the list of Sabres’ defensive greats, such as current coach and Hall of Famer Phil Housley, Jim Schoenfeld, Jerry Korab and Mike Ramsey.
“He’s only 18, but I think in about two to three seasons, if he continues at the same level that he has in Sweden, the Sabres could be looking at a career defenseman,” he said.
The Sabres, who haven’t made the playoffs in seven seasons and finished last in the standings for the third time in five years, are certainly counting on it.
“We see the potential, too,” general manager Jason Botterill said. “The bottom line is, it’s our job to develop him.”
Dahlin will endure his growing pains, which were evident during preseason games in which he displayed some nerves while also getting accustomed to the smaller North American ice surface. There were occasions in which he was too cavalier with the puck, including being stripped by veteran Patrick Marleau of Toronto last week.
More apparent is how the smoothskating, nolookpassing youngster can provide a playmaking element severely lacking among Buffalo’s defensemen.
Sabres blueliners combined for a leagueworst 19 goals last season. Things were so anemic Buffalo didn’t get its first goal from a defenseman until 28 games in, when Jake McCabe scored on Dec. 5.
Dahlin is decisive in breaking out of his own zone. He has an effortless stickhandling ability and he’s instinctive in knowing when to join the rush without being reckless.
“He’s come in as advertised,” Devils GM Ray Shero said. “He has a confidence to his game. He’s got a flair to the way he plays.”
Botterill went further: “He seems to see everything. It’s something that’s very difficult to sort of explain, but he certainly has it.”
At 6foot3 and 186 pounds, Dahlin was regarded as the most NHLready prospect in this year’s draft class, and drew comparisons to other elite Swedish defensemen, such as San Jose’s Erik Karlsson and former Detroit star Nicklas Lidstrom.