Rasmus Dahlin named captain of the Buffalo Sabres for 2024-25
The club also announced Alex Tuch, Dylan Cozens, Mattias Samuelsson and Tage Thompson will serve as alternate captains on a rotational basis.
Lindy Ruff wanted time to get to know his players before naming the captain of the Buffalo Sabres for this season.
One of the NHL’s all-time winningest coaches needed eight days of training camp to make his decision.
Rasmus Dahlin was named team captain Thursday while the Sabres were in Munich preparing for their exhibition game against a German professional team.
Buffalo Sabres fan Sheila Harris greets Rasmus Dahlin prior to the Sabres playing the Washington Capitals at the KeyBank Center on Thursday, April 11, 2024. Harry Scull Jr./Buffalo News
“Probably his hunger for success,” Ruff said of what he’s learned about Dahlin as a person. “The fact that he wants this team to be a winner. He wants to be part of this team. I think sometimes it’s easy to say, ‘Well, I don’t want to be part of it anymore.’ He wants this group to be successful, and he wants to be the guy who helps lead.”
The club also announced Alex Tuch, Dylan Cozens, Mattias Samuelsson and Tage Thompson will serve as alternate captains on a rotational basis.
Dahlin missed five days of training camp because of a middle-body injury suffered on a routine pass during Ruff’s first practice last week. He practiced with the team Tuesday before it departed for Europe, and he was cleared to resume taking contact in practice when it arrived in Munich. Dahlin and the Sabres will play a German professional team, HC Red Bull Munchen, Friday night in an exhibition game.
The Sabres will then travel to Prague, Czechia, where they will continue to prepare for their season-opening back-to-back against the New Jersey Devils in the city’s at O2 Arena.
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin looks on from the bench during the second period against the Pittsburgh Penguins last November at KeyBank Center. Joshua Bessex, Buffalo News
Dahlin’s ascent to the captaincy seemed like a foregone conclusion when the Sabres agreed to trade their former captain, Kyle Okposo, to the Florida Panthers in March. Okposo, who announced his retirement as a player last week, went on to play an important depth and leadership role during the Panthers’ run to the Stanley Cup. His nearly two-year run as the Sabres captain helped reestablish a positive culture around the team and allowed Dahlin to gradually become the their leader.
“Okie was a big help in that,” Samuelsson said. “He was the guy. Obviously we all knew that, but Ras had time to grow into it himself. It came naturally. It wasn’t forced or rushed. He’s the leader of this team, and it shows every day. He wants to be involved in every conversation and help help anyone he can. He’s a (heck) of a person.”
Dahlin is also an exceptional player. Last season, he led the Sabres with 39 assists, 20 power-play points and time on ice per game (25:25), and he tied with Alex Tuch for first in points (59). Dahlin also became only the second defenseman in franchise history to score 20 goals in a season, joining his former coach, Phil Housley, who had 21 in 1989-90. Dahlin’s 292 career points across six NHL seasons trail only Housley (558) and Mike Ramsey (329) for most by a player at the position since the Sabres’ inception.
Dahlin finished eighth in voting for the Norris Trophy in 2022-23 when he had 15 goals with 73 points, and he has reached at least 53 points in three consecutive seasons. The three-time All-Star’s 235 shots on goal last season ranked second among all NHL players at his position and tied Housley for the second-most ever by a Buffalo defenseman.
Remarkably, Dahlin skated at least 29 minutes in eight of 10 games from Feb. 6-27 last season, and he continued to establish himself as one of the team’s top leaders on and off the ice. He signed an eight-year contract extension in October 2023 that will count $11 million against the salary cap annually beginning this season.
“He’s a pro,” Cozens said. “He works so hard. He takes such good care of his body and loves the game. He just wants to get better every day, and we all see that. When you’ve got a guy like him who still wants to improve every day, it definitely inspires a lot of us.”
Dahlin has developed into the elite, top-pair defenseman that scouts envisioned leading up to the 2018 draft, when the Sabres selected him first overall. He has emerged as one of the top Swedish players in the NHL the past two seasons. Among Swedish-born defenseman since the beginning of 2018-19, Dahlin ranks second in games played (436), second in goals (66), third in assists (226), third in points (292), second in power-play points (123) and second in total time on ice.
Navigating pressure and expectations will be one of Dahlin’s tasks as captain. The Sabres’ 13-year playoff drought is the longest in NHL history, and there won’t be a shortage of outside noise if this team gets off to a slow start. In the past, Dahlin has placed too much responsibility on his own shoulders when his team has struggled. Doing so tends to negatively impact his own play and lead to uncharacteristic mistakes.
Dahlin won’t be alone in leading the Sabres through a challenging season, though. Ruff made it clear to the team’s other leaders, specifically Cozens, Samuelsson, Tuch and Tage Thompson, that they must share that burden. But Dahlin’s voice and actions will be a beacon as they attempt to rebound from a setback season and reach the playoffs.
“First and foremost, the guy is a game-changer each and every night,” said Tuch. “His consistency and compete factor has been incredible ever since I got into town, and I’ve seen him grow and just blossom into the player that he’s become. He’s an incredible player, but he’s also an incredible individual. ... He expects a lot of each guy, and he’s been incredible each and every game.”
