Multiple players are going to have to step up in order for the Buffalo Sabres to have a chance at improvement this season. All eyes will be on Tage Thompson as he sets out to rediscover himself as a lethal scoring threat after injuries hampered him all of last season, but the list is longer than that.
Ramus Dahlin is entering perhaps the most pivotal season of his still-young career and the Sabres stand little chance of returning to postseason play without him leading the way. And after a season that managed to be both a success and a disappointment, he’ll be aiming for a bounce-back. But with an upgrade behind the bench, that and more should be easily attainable.
Dahlin’s Strange 2023-24 Season
It seems like I say this almost every time I discuss Dahlin but one has to remember that, though he’s been in the NHL for six seasons now, he’s only 24 years old. It also cannot be stressed enough how much he’s been through in that relatively brief period. The wide-ranging effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and three separate coaching changes have made for quite the bumpy ride over the early part of his career but he’s emerged as a bona fide star in spite of that.
Dahlin was expected to become one of the best defensemen in the NHL before he was even drafted, and though it seemed at times like the Sabres were actively trying to prevent that, he has. Over the last two seasons, the Swede has cemented himself amongst the game’s elite blueliners and he’s yet to even reach his full potential. It’s also no coincidence whatsoever that his team’s fortunes have improved considerably over that span.
That being said, it would be tough to deny that this past season was a bit of a disappointment for him. After a 2022-23 season in which he put up the most points by a Sabre defenseman in over 30 years and contended for the Norris Trophy, Dahlin was unable to capitalize on that momentum and took a bit of a step backwards. His 2023-24 campaign wasn’t bad by any means and he made further Sabres history, becoming their first defenseman since 1990 to score 20 goals and the first to ever lead them in scoring.
While it might seem difficult to consider that a regression, it actually somehow was. His production was expected to remain the same or even increase, but it fell from 73 points to 59. It wasn’t the sharpest of declines and it’s important to remember that the Sabres as a whole did as well, but given what had been expected, it still felt underwhelming. However, he could still be on the cusp of a major step forward.
Ruff Should Help Sabres On Defense
Dahlin’s offensive capabilities go without saying but it hasn’t always been smooth sailing on the other side of the puck. Though his positional play has improved considerably over the last two years, he’s recorded a positive plus/minus rating only once in his six seasons and is a career minus-3 to this point. That’s not entirely his fault, however, and more a testament to the dysfunction around him.
The Sabres haven’t had any kind of defensive structure throughout the majority of Dahlin’s tenure but especially under most recent coach Don Granato. Overcrowding, incoherence, a major lack of physicality and minimal offensive contributions have been major issues in recent years and Granato simply wasn’t able to fix them. Admittedly, the lack of diligent two-way play by the forwards was a big part of that, but the issue remained.
The Sabres made a coaching change this summer for the fourth of Dahlin’s tenure. He began his career playing under Hall of Famer Phil Housley, to whom he is often compared, and his new coach is also a legendary former Sabre defenseman. Lindy Ruff employs the exact type of style Buffalo needs to be better in their own zone and his return could pay major dividends for his new top star.
A better supporting cast seems to be the only thing alluding Dahlin to this point. The Sabres have other dynamic talents in Owen Power and Bowen Byram and are buoyed by the more conservative Mattias Samuelsson and Henri Jokiharju. All are still young and have immense potential but have been limited by the aforementioned lack of structure. The defense actually improved noticeably last season but still never appeared truly on the same page.
Ruff has always prized defense and his old school, north-south mentality demands responsibility from every player. It helped keep the Sabres competitive throughout his first tenure despite not having many marquee names. The current team’s slipshod positioning and frequent turnovers have been detrimental but Granato never seemed to want to hold anyone accountable. Ruff has no such issues and a different culture should be evident.
2024-25: The Year of Rasmus?
With a cogent system in place, all of Buffalo’s defensemen will have the chance to reach their full potential and that could take immense pressure off of Dahlin. He’s unquestionably the glue that holds the unit together but that has sometimes had adverse effects. Over the last three seasons, he has averaged over 24 minutes per game because he’s the go-to in all scenarios. And while it seems that he’s been able to handle it, that’s simply too much for a player still as young as he is.
Under Ruff, the defense should be much more collected and therefore much more dangerous. Bryam and Power have the potential to be stars in their own right and the Sabres have a number of fascinating possibilities ahead of them if they can grow their game. Dahlin is currently the team’s only truly viable option and it’s why he’s been overworked. If the former can step forward, Ruff can dole out the responsibilities more evenly and take pressure off his number one.
Less of a burden could be exactly what Dahlin needs to become the superstar everyone has been waiting for. He’s already a consistent scoring threat and can reach even greater heights if his partner(s) can secure the backend and give him more freedom to take chances up-ice. He’s finished in the top 10 in points by a defenseman each of the last two seasons and we all know that he’s capable of more.
More cohesion would pay even greater dividends at the other end of the ice. Dahlin plays his position very well and, though not the most imposing player, employs a surprising amount of grit. He doesn’t shy away from throwing hits or engaging physically with opponents, even after the whistle. However, he’s all too often had to compensate for foolish play next to him and one player can only do so much. The return of frequent partner Samuelsson, who missed the second half of last season, should be a big boost.
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The end result could be a truly great season from the blueliner, something the Sabres haven’t consistently had since the days of Housley. Buffalo has never had a Norris Trophy winner in their history and Dahlin seems destined to be the one to finally change that. It probably won’t happen immediately, but there’s no doubting that it’s in his future and this season could be the first step towards it.
