Rasmus Dahlin
Rasmus Dahlin (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈrǎsːmɵs ˈdɑ̌ːhlɪn]; born 13 April 2000) is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenseman currently playing for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). Having been referred to as the most talented player available[1] in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft class,[2][3] Dahlin was selected first overall in the draft by the Sabres.
Rasmus Dahlin | |||
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Dahlin with the Sabres in 2019 | |||
Born |
Trollhättan, Sweden | 13 April 2000||
Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) | ||
Weight | 193 lb (88 kg; 13 st 11 lb) | ||
Position | Defense | ||
Shoots | Left | ||
NHL team Former teams |
Buffalo Sabres Frölunda HC | ||
National team |
| ||
NHL Draft |
1st overall, 2018 Buffalo Sabres | ||
Playing career | 2016–present |
Playing career
In the 2016–17 season, Dahlin scored his first Swedish Hockey League (SHL) goal with Frölunda HC on 12 November 2016 in a game against Karlskrona HK.[4]
Prior to the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, Dahlin was widely considered the top prospect. He was described as a smart two-way defenseman with a great set of tools, including skating, puck handling, vision, intelligence and shot. Dan Marr of the NHL Central Scouting Bureau described him as an exceptionally talented prospect that would be able to impact his team's fortune in a way similar to Erik Karlsson and Victor Hedman.[5]
On 22 June 2018, Dahlin was drafted first overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the Draft.[6] He was the first Swedish player to be drafted first overall since Mats Sundin in 1989, and the second Swede overall to accomplish the feat. On July 9, he signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Sabres.[7] Dahlin participated at the Sabres' training camp and made the opening night roster for the 2018–19 season.[8] He made his NHL debut on October 4 in a 4–0 loss to the Boston Bruins.[9] Dahlin recorded his first career NHL goal on October 13 in a 3–0 win over the Arizona Coyotes.[10] On February 9, 2019, after a win over the Detroit Red Wings, Dahlin became the fifth defenceman in NHL history to record 30 points before age 19.[11] Following his rookie season, Dahlin was named as one of the three finalists for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the top rookie in the NHL.[12]
International play
At age 16, Dahlin was the youngest player to ever dress for Sweden at the IIHF World U20 Championship, and the youngest player overall in the 2017 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.[13] Dahlin competed in the 2018 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships for Sweden, recording six assists and helping lead the team to win silver.[14] He was named the tournament's top defenceman after scoring the second-most points amongst tournament defencemen.[15] After Dahlin and several other teammates removed their silver medals after receiving them during the medal ceremony, he was suspended for the first two games of the 2019 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.[16]
Dahlin also represented the Swedish senior team at the 2018 Winter Olympics, becoming the youngest player to compete in the 2018 tournament, and the youngest to compete in the men's hockey tournament since 1984.[17][18]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
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Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
2014–15 | HC Lidköping | Div.3 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2015–16 | Frölunda HC | J20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2016–17 | Frölunda HC | J20 | 24 | 9 | 13 | 22 | 74 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
2016–17 | Frölunda HC | SHL | 26 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | ||
2017–18 | Frölunda HC | J20 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2017–18 | Frölunda HC | SHL | 41 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 20 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | ||
2018–19 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 82 | 9 | 35 | 44 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2019–20 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 59 | 4 | 36 | 40 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
SHL totals | 67 | 8 | 15 | 23 | 26 | 20 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 4 | ||||
NHL totals | 141 | 13 | 71 | 84 | 72 | — | — | — | — | — |
Awards and honors
Award | Year | |
---|---|---|
CHL | ||
Champions | 2017 | [19] |
NHL | ||
Rookie of the Month | November 2018 | [20] |
All-Rookie Team | 2018–19 | [21] |
References
- Button, Craig (2 March 2018). "Button: Nobody is even close to Rasmus Dahlin in this draft". tsn.ca. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
- Wyshynski, Greg (29 April 2018). "Winners and losers of the 2018 NHL draft lottery". ESPN. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
- Boylen, Rory (28 April 2018). "NHL Draft Lottery 2018 Blog: Can Rasmus Dahlin transform the Sabres?". Sportsnet. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
- "Frölunda ny serieledare". Swedish Hockey League (in Swedish). 12 November 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
- Morreale, Mike G. (16 April 2018). "Dahlin tops Central Scouting's final ranking of International skaters". NHL.com. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
- "Buffalo Sabres select Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin first overall". ESPN. 22 June 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- Buffalo Sabres public relations department (9 July 2018). "Sabres sign Dahlin to entry-level contract". Sabres.com. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
- "NHL opening night rosters for 2018–19 season". NHL.com. 3 October 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
- McCarthy, Dave (4 October 2018). "Bruins shut out Sabres, spoil Dahlin debut". NHL.com. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
- Robinson, Alan (14 October 2018). "Dahlin scores first NHL goal, Sabres blank Coyotes". NHL.com. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
- Heather Engel (9 February 2019). "Sabres score three times in second period, defeat Red Wings". NHL.com. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
Rookie Rasmus Dahlin had an assist and became the fifth defenseman in NHL history with at least 30 points (six goals, 24 assists) before his 19th birthday (53 games).
- "Calder Trophy finalists revealed". NHL.com. NHL Enterprises, L.P. 27 April 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
- Gordon, Sean (30 December 2016). "Swedish hockey player Rasmus Dahlin impresses at world juniors". The Globe and Mail. Montreal. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
- Zeisberger, Mike (7 January 2018). "Dahlin turns to future after heartbreaking loss in World Junior final". NHL.com. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- McGran, Kevin (6 January 2018). "Top NHL draft prospects boost stock at world juniors". The Toronto Star. Buffalo, NY. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- Bottomley, Andrew (2 May 2018). "Dahlin among Swedish players, coaches suspended by IIHF". sportsnet.ca. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
- "TEAM SWEDEN Preliminary roster for the XXIII Olympic Winter Games, in PyeongChang, South Korea, 2018" (PDF). Svenska Ishockeyförbundet. 16 January 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
- Longley, Rob (16 February 2018). "NHL salivating over Rasmus Dahlin although Team Sweden is being patient in Pyeongchang". The National Post. Gangneung. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
- Gustav Orbring (2 February 2017). "Frölunda win CHL for second year running" (in Swedish). SVTSport.se. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
- "Dahlin named NHL Rookie of the Month for November". NHL.com. 1 December 2018. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
- "NHL announces 2018-19 All-Rookie team". NHL.com. 19 June 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
Awards and achievements | ||
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Preceded by Nico Hischier |
NHL first overall draft pick 2018 |
Succeeded by Jack Hughes |
Preceded by Casey Mittelstadt |
Buffalo Sabres first round draft pick 2018 |
Succeeded by Dylan Cozens |