Buffalo Sabres player Rasmus Dahlin Shoots during the first day of training camp at the KeyBank Center on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022. (Harry Scull Jr./Buffalo News)
Rasmus Dahlin tried to pin Casey Mittelstadt against the boards as the Buffalo Sabres teammates and close friends battled for a puck in the final drill of practice Thursday in KeyBank Center.
When the whistle blew and both began to skate toward their respective groups, Dahlin gave Mittelstadt an extra shove in the back. Dahlin can’t stand losing, even in a drill. And though he carried that competitive fire with him long before his arrival in Buffalo as a highly touted No. 1 pick four years ago, it has only intensified through the triumph and tumult of four seasons in the NHL.
“I don’t feel as an old guy, but I sure have a lot of years in the league now,” said Dahlin, wearing his hat backward while casually leaning against the lectern. “It’s great because now I feel more comfortable. I’m not as nervous. I can prepare myself more and better now and I know what’s to come. I’m a little bit calmer nowadays.”
Dahlin’s poise off the ice has progressed at the same rapid pace as his play on the Sabres’ blue line. He represented the club at the NHL Player Media Tour in Las Vegas last week, where he politely and insightfully answered similar questions from numerous outlets across two days and showcased an affable personality that was rarely seen early in his career.
At some point last season, Dahlin stopped trying to impress other people. He can’t trace the change to a particular moment or game. But when the 22-year-old knew he could be himself in the dressing room and around his teammates, he flourished on the ice and emerged as a vocal leader for the Sabres.
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin talks after practice on the first day of training camp, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022.
This is in stark contrast to the quiet, reserved Dahlin of years past. He doesn’t care if people don’t like it. During his fifth training camp and season with the Sabres, Dahlin is going to be himself, unapologetically, with his eye on reaching the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“Rasmus is a really impressive person,” Sabres General Manager Kevyn Adams boasted. “He cares so much. He loves being a Buffalo Sabre. He wants to be here. He loves his teammates. He is ultra-competitive and he's driven to be the best, period. So, what I saw from Rasmus was a maturity last year that even if things maybe weren't going perfectly for him, there was a calmness and a belief that, 'OK, I'm going out the next shift.' "
Dahlin watched the playoffs intently last spring, particularly the defensemen. He couldn’t stand watching those games from home, though. Admittedly “jealous,” Dahlin wanted to be on the ice competing for hockey’s top prize. And carrying what Adams described as a “quiet swagger,” Dahlin knows he belongs on that stage.
His confidence reached new heights last season when he totaled career highs in goals (13), points (53) and average time on ice (24:01) while facing the opponent’s top forwards for 80 games. His remarkable ascent, which began in late November, led him to represent the Atlantic Division at the NHL All-Star Game in Las Vegas.
The taste of success, particularly with the Sabres’ 16-9-3 record in March and April, only fueled Dahlin to want more.
“I don’t really want to watch the playoffs, but I can’t not watch it,” Dahlin added. “It’s such great hockey and you’ve got to follow it if you’re in the league, I feel like. It (ticks) you off, for sure. It’s not fun to see all the other teams succeed. I want to be in those shoes. It’s a love-hate relationship with the playoffs when you’re not in it, for sure.”
Dahlin is far from satisfied. His offseason training in Sweden was focused on ensuring he’s ready for the heavy workload and grind of an 82-game season. He strives to be the best at his position, and, in Buffalo, he is surrounded by others with the same focus, including fellow No. 1 pick Owen Power.
In a dressing room led by Kyle Okposo, Dahlin’s voice was heard last season. He challenged his teammates during games and practices, urging them to bring the same competitiveness every time, no matter the opponent. Dahlin also has made a habit of hosting his Swedish teammates for dinner, a gesture he learned from former Sabres Marcus Johansson and Linus Ullmark, both of whom helped Dahlin transition to life in the NHL.
Dahlin is now known around the league for his snarl. He scuffles with Brad Marchand every time the Sabres face the Bruins and angered Auston Matthews to the point where the Toronto Maple Leafs' star cross-checked Dahlin in the neck during the final moments of the Heritage Classic at Hamilton’s Tim Hortons Field.
“Swagger to me is a confidence with a willingness to earn it and re-earn it,” explained Sabres coach Don Granato. “When you’re cocky, maybe you don’t feel you have to earn it, you earned it already. Rasmus is willing to earn it. He chirps another teammate in practice, he’ll go harder than them. He knows, he’ll challenge the guy in practice and call him out, and then he’ll hop in line and go one-on-one against him and say, ‘I’ll show you what I’m talking about. You, you’re not going hard enough and you’re not competing hard enough.’ So, he’ll back what he says. In my mind, you’ve earned that swagger. That’s a good, healthy swagger.”
Even through adversity, Dahlin produced at a high clip for the Sabres, even during their most difficult times in recent seasons. Since entering the league in 2018-19, he ranks 16th among all defensemen in total points and is 10th in points on the power play.
There’s opportunity for Dahlin to accomplish more. He’ll finally benefit from continuity with Granato and assistant coach Marty Wilford, who works with defensemen, back for another season. There’s more talent on the Sabres’ blue line, including athletically gifted, defensively sound Mattias Samuelsson, who complemented Dahlin perfectly when the two were paired in April. Dahlin also will run the top power-play unit, which has more talented goal-scoring options than years past.
For Dahlin, progress and growth won’t be measured by his individual accomplishments, though he’s determined to take his game to another level.
“He just looks like he's matured about three years in the last 12 months and that's a really positive thing," said Okposo. "He knows he doesn't have to say stuff now and he's not forcing it. It's just who he is. He's just competitive. But he also observes, too, and I think that's something that he's really grown into is his ability to perceive what's going on and just take it all in and then form his own opinion and be able to speak on it.
"So, it's been really nice to see him grow up a little bit. And obviously, his game blossomed last year, and he turned into a heck of a defenseman, and he's only going to continue to get better."
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I've covered the Sabres and National Hockey League for The Buffalo News since November 2018. My previous work included coverage of the Pittsburgh Pirates and University of Pittsburgh athletics for DKPittsburghSports.com.
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Buffalo Sabres player Rasmus Dahlin Shoots during the first day of training camp at the KeyBank Center on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022. (Harry Scull Jr./Buffalo News)
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