Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – For the past few months, Rasmus Dahlin has been playing like an All-Star NHL defenseman. He seems to keep getting better every single day.
Dahlin had a lot of rough games to start this season. The 21-year-old was getting blasted by fans and media, and Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato had heard enough.
Every single day, Granato gushed about this kid, whether he played well or not. Dahlin heard that, and it gave him the confidence in himself, because his coach believed in him.
“I had a couple of tough nights and he still believed in me," Dahlin said after Thursday's practice. "He talked to me and he showed it, and that’s how you make players better. So I’m young, and thanks to 'Donny', I’ve been able to develop.”
Dahlin is having his voice heard around the team for the first time in his career.
“I don’t know, it just happens," he said. "When I feel like I want to say something, I say something. It’s not like I’m a guy that screams, but in close games, I want to push the guys.”
As I mentioned, Dahlin didn’t say much in past seasons. He says it wasn't until this year where he started feeling more comfortable every day with that group in the locker room.
Dahlin hadn’t played up to his potential for the first three years of his career, and even at the start of this season.
“The last three years, I haven’t really shown my real self. But now I’m really starting to show who I actually am," the Swedish blue liner said. "I hate losing, I hate when stuff doesn’t go my way, so that’s who I am.”
When you ask any of the players about Dylan Cozens, they can’t say enough good things about him. Dahlin is no different.
“Everyone wants a guy like that on your team, because he can do it all," Dahlin explained. "He battles out there, he fights, he scores, he’s tough to play against. So whenever he’s on the ice, I’m feeling comfortable.”
Dahlin has never had to play against Cozens in a real game. He admits it would be a pretty good battle.
"That would be miserable," Dahlin said. "You don’t want to play against a guy like that, because that’s the worst hockey player you can play against.”
Dahlin and his defensive partner Henri Jokiharju have become very good friends on the ice. But when they’re on the ice together, they aren’t afraid to get on each other.
“We’re so close, but that’s how you have to be to take the next step," Dahlin said. "You’ve got to be hard on each other. It’s fine to make mistakes, but it’s not fine to be sloppy. So yes, we’re hard on each other, because I want to play a really good game and so does he.”
Granato says he spends a lot of time working closely with Dahlin, especially in the film room.
“He doesn’t want to disappoint his coach, his teammates, so his first focus is on making sure that’s OK," he said of his top defenseman. "But I had to tell him not to worry about that. 'You’re not going to disappoint me. Just get after it.' I felt there was a real competitive burn there that I needed to unleash.”
Cozens is different, though. Granato knows that everything matters to the 21-year-old forward, and he can get frustrated fast. The head coach said much of the same for forward Peyton Krebs.
“With those two guys, you skip them over with one shift and it’s a life crisis. It is," Granato said. "You talk about crisis management, you skip those guys over, you’re going to have to manage that as a coaching staff.”
Granato provided the latest update with forward John Hayden. Hayden is feeling good, according to Granato, but he’s still in COVID-19 quarantine in Vancouver.
