Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – Rasmus Dahlin is now the highest paid player in the history of the Buffalo Sabres.
Starting next year, Dahlin will make an average of $11 million per-season over eight years, and the young defenseman couldn’t be happier to remain in Buffalo.
"I knew it was going to happen, and we had great chats throughout the summer. I’m super, super happy," said Dahlin following Monday's practice.
Dahlin feels relieved to get this over with, because the defenseman dearly loves the City of Buffalo, along with this team.
"I grew up here as a man. I came here as an 18-year-old and didn’t know much about anything," Dahlin said. "I learned the language and the culture, and from the beginning, I loved this city. So I’ve always wanted to be here for a long, long time.
"You grow up in it, you have a special relationship to it, and every time my family comes to Buffalo, they absolutely love it. My brother pretty much wants to live here, but he can’t. It has a special place in my heart, for sure."
Dahlin says it is a huge relief to get the deal finally done, because all he was doing was thinking about it.
Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams has made long-term commitments to Dahlin, Tage Thompson, Dylan Cozens and Mattias Samuelsson. He’s also trying to make a long-term commitment to defenseman Owen Power.
Dahlin feels efforts like that mean a lot.
"I’ve shared a lot of years with all these guys and they’re super, super talented guys. But they’re such good people, and I love spending time with them. I love to go to war with them," Dahlin said. "Kevyn has done such a great job to secure all the good people."
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Dahlin says it was head coach Don Granato and his teammates that have been responsible for the growth in his game and his leadership abilities. It wouldn’t be shocking to see Dahlin be the captain of the Sabres once Kyle Okposo retires.
"He’s still going to continue to grow in that role as a leader, and get more comfortable in saying things," said Okposo about Dahlin, the leader on Monday. "It’s not something that comes natural for a lot of people. You have to grow in that roll, and he’s done a terrific job in that. A lot of times, he just lets his play and his work ethic do the talking."
The captain is, of course, very happy that Dahlin has gone out and earned this new contract extension.
"I’m just happy for him, because he works at it, and he wants to be the best," Okposo said. "I can’t say enough about his drive, and his willingness to sacrifice time and everything else for the betterment of his game and the team."
Dylan Cozens is in the first year of a seven-year, $49.7 million contract he signed last year. The 2019 first-round pick loves having Dahlin as a teammate.
"He means everything," said Cozens on Monday. "He’s a franchise defenseman, he’s ultra-competitive, and he pushes everyone to be the best. It’s great to have a guy like 'Ras' on the team."
Just like Dahlin, Cozens has said many times that Buffalo is the place he wants to be. He said the commitment by Adams and the team is felt in that room.
"I think it means a lot. It means they believe in us as pieces," Cozens said. "They don’t need to bring anyone in, because they believe in us to do it. It’s exactly what we want is to grow together and do it from the inside."
Jeff Skinner knew Dahlin when he was just a teenager entering the NHL, and sees him for what he is now.
"He just continues to get better," said Skinner following Monday's practice. "But for him, it’s a little bit different, because he’s coming from Sweden as an 18-year-old and he’s had a lot adjustments to make off the ice, as well as on the ice. "He’s gotten better every year, and he’s still young enough that I think there’s no reason why those strides won’t continue to improve. He’s going to keep getting better, and I think that’s a good thing, because he’s already one of the best D-men in the league."
As soon as he took over for Ralph Krueger, Granato knew he had to take the shackles off Dahlin and let him grow into the beast he is now.
"He got rewarded for the work he’s put in, the person he is, the competitor he is. It’s pretty exciting that you’re investing in a guy that young," the Sabres head coach said Monday.
Getting back to when he became head coach, Granato knew he had to find what got Dahlin going as one of the most talented players on the roster.
"It was pretty clear to me with some hindsight of working with young guys, this is a guy that has immense potential, and the attributes of compete, hockey sense and love of the game, and teammates that it will give us rapid return upon some support and direction, and a little bit of guidance," Granato said. "But he did it. So I don’t want to sound like I did something great for him."
Since Granato won't say it, I will.
It was Granato that decided he was tired of seeing on social media how bad Dahlin was. He decided good or bad, he was going to stand at the microphone every single day and say how good Dahlin was that day.
Once Dahlin knew his coach had his back, the transformation was swift. He went from floundering to one of the best defensemen in the NHL.
And Dahlin still feels he can be "way better" than he already is as a two-time NHL All-Star.
Dahlin also says he likes being able to share and help his family, and in addition, he’s purchased a house in Buffalo.
During Monday's practice, Dahlin was back together with Mattias Samuelsson, while Connor Clifton was paired with Erik Johnson. Dahlin spent all of camp with Clifton on his right side.
Since he hasn’t been totally cleared from his shoulder injury, forward Matt Savoie was placed on injured reserve along with Jack Quinn.
