(WGR Sports Radio 550) - To nobody’s surprise, Rasmus Dahlin has been named the 21st captain of the Buffalo Sabres.
Dahlin came to the organization in 2018 when he was the NHL’s first overall pick in the draft.
The 24-year-old has since played in three NHL All-Star games, and played in 436 NHL games. In his six-year career, Dahlin has scored 66 goals and added 226 assists for 292 points, which ranks him 11th amongst active NHL defensemen.
"It’s been a joy through these opening weeks of training camp to see Lindy experience firsthand what so many of us in our organization have felt when it comes to Rasmus Dahlin’s work ethic, competitive drive, and devotion to the Buffalo Sabres," said general manager Kevyn Adams in a team statement.
"Rasmus sets the tone for our team each and every day with how he prepares and competes. He is respected by his teammates and coaches, both for his actions at the rink and his commitment to our Western New York community.
"We are so proud to have a player and person of Rasmus’ caliber wear the 'C' and lead our team into the future."
"He does everything right, first and foremost. His on-ice action has been incredible, and I think he’s a guy that leads in every category, from the way he prepares himself to the way he plays and the fact that he’s a guy who cares about winning hockey games," said Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff in a team statement.
Before the Sabres left for Germany on Tuesday, winger Alex Tuch called Dahlin a game changer on a nightly basis.
"His consistency and the compete factor has been incredible, and ever since I got into town, I’ve seen it grow and just blossom into the player that he’s become," Tuch said.
"He’s an incredible player, but he’s also an incredible individual. To be able to go into battle beside him is a great honor. He’s raised my level of compete, and he’s made me want to be a better player. That’s what he does to each and every guy.
"He expects a lot of each guy, and he’s been incredible each and every game. He puts the most amount of pressure on himself, and he rises to that pressure."
Over the summer, Dahlin organized a trip for some of his teammates. They got together in Switzerland to work on the ice, and to have some fun off the ice.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was among the players there. He was taken in the second-round by the Sabres one year before Dahlin was drafted.
"I feel the biggest thing is how much pride he takes on his own game. It’s his own game first, and then he points out other mistakes," said Luukkonen of Dahlin's leadership. "He wants to set the bar high by example. How he plays and how he practices, and that’s how he pushes the other guys too.
"I feel like everybody respects him a lot in the locker room, so he’s become one of the leaders and it’s been great to see."
The Sabres have also announced four players that will rotate wearing the "A" over the course of the season: Tuch, Tage Thompson, Dylan Cozens and Mattias Samuelsson.
The Sabres' NHL regulars will play a preseason game on Friday afternoon against EHC Red Bull München in Germany. Faceoff is set for 2:30 p.m. ET.
Meanwhile, the group of players likely bound for the Rochester Americans will be in Ottawa to face the Senators on Thursday night. Dan Dunleavy and Rob Ray will be there for the radio only game starting at 7 p.m. ET.