| Rasmus Dahlin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 13 April 2000 Trollhättan, Sweden |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb) |
| Position | Defence |
| Shoots | Left |
| NHL team Former teams |
Buffalo Sabres Frölunda HC |
| National team | Template:Country data SWE |
| NHL Draft | 1st overall, 2018 Buffalo Sabres |
| Playing career | 2016–present |
Rasmus Dahlin (born April 13, 2000) is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Having been referred to as the most talented player available in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft class, Dahlin was selected first overall in the draft by the Sabres.
Playing Career[]
On November 12, 2016 (in the 2016–17 season), Rasmus scored his first Swedish Hockey League (SHL) goal with Frölunda HC in a game against Karlskrona HK.
Prior to the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, he was widely considered the top prospect. He was described as a smart two-way defenceman 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.
On June 22, 2018, Rasmus was drafted first overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, making him the first Swedish player to be drafted first overall since Mats Sundin in 1989.
On July 9, 2018, he signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Sabres. He participated at the Sabres' training camp and made the opening night roster for the 2018–19 season.
On October 4, 2018, Rasmus made his NHL debut in a 4–0 loss to the Boston Bruins; he recorded his first career NHL goal on October 13, 2018 in a 3–0 win over the Arizona Coyotes.
On February 9, 2019, after a win over the Detroit Red Wings, Rasmus became the fifth defenceman in NHL history to record 30 points before the age of 19. Following his rookie season, he was named as one of the three finalists for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the top rookie in the NHL.
Career Statistics[]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 82 | 9 | 35 | 44 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| SHL totals | 67 | 8 | 15 | 23 | 26 | 20 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 4 | ||||
International[]
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Sweden | IH18 | 4th | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2017 | Sweden | WJC | 4th | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | |
| 2018 | Sweden | WJC | Template:Sica | 7 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 6 | |
| 2018 | Sweden | OG | 5th | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Junior totals | 19 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 12 | ||||
| Senior totals | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||
International Play[]
When he was 16 years old, Rasmus 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.
He competed in the 2018 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships for Sweden, helping them win silver by recording six assists.
Rasmus was named the tournament's top defenceman after scoring the second-most points amongst tournament defencemen.
After Rasmus and several other teammates took off their silver medals during the medal ceremony, he was suspended from two games during the 2019 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.
He also represented the Swedish senior team at the 2018 Winter Olympics, becoming the youngest player to compete in the men's hockey tournament since 1984 and the youngest that participated in the 2018 men's hockey tournament.
Accolades[]
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| CHL | ||
| Champions | 2017 | |
| NHL | ||
| Rookie of the Month | November 2018 | |
| All-Rookie Team | 2018–19 | |
