Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR) - The Buffalo Sabres are hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday for their first preseason home game. The lineup announced for the game is likely the one that will take the ice on opening night in Columbus on Oct. 1.
Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin had more to deal with last season than any human should have to. The great news is everything is now OK with his fiancée Carolina Matovac.
Dahlin really seemed to grow into his role as captain last year, helping the team to a 109-point season and their first playoff birth in 15 years. Dahlin finished third in voting for the Norris Trophy as the league's best defenseman, and also was a finalist for the Masterton Trophy.
Despite last year's successes, Dahlin knows that is over and it's now a clean slate.
"Great year last year, but it's a new year. If we thought last year was hard, this year is going to be harder," said Dahlin when he returned to Buffalo for training camp last week. "We've got to make sure we come prepared. We've got to make sure we have a good camp, and it's going to be an exciting year."
The first question that comes to mind is how is this year going to be harder? Dahlin has already thought about that.
"We have higher expectations for ourselves, and higher expectations around the league," he said. "We're not the old Sabres anymore in other team's eyes. That's going to be a big bump."
Dahlin feels the team's work ethic and chemistry were better during last season.
It is well known, at this point, the Sabres lost winger Alex Tuch and defenseman Bo Byram from last year's team. Tuch was traded to the Capitals and signed a long-term contract in Washington, while Byram was traded to the Blackhawks and signed a massive extension in Chicago.
Dahlin understands what they meant to this organization.
"They were big pieces on our team," the captain acknowledged. "They had a big voice in the locker room, so we miss them for sure. But we have a lot of exciting players in the locker room. All those young guys like Konsta [Helenius], 'Osti' [Noah Ostlund], 'Benny' [Zach Benson], [Josh] Doan, [Jiri] Kulich, all those guys. So it's going to be exciting to see all those guys, they're going to fill those spots."
One thing Dahlin likes to do in Sweden is to get on the ice with some guys and put some work in. Among those flying to Sweden this offseason and joining Dahlin was winger Jack Quinn.
"I had a little hockey camp, just a week, it's always fun to bring close friends to compete," Dahlin said. "He flew over to Sweden, and he's been having a hell of a summer. He works so hard, and I'm sure he's going to have a great year."
Another player that had a tough year last season was Kulich, who missed most of the 2025-26 campaign with a blood clot issue. Dahlin admires the work his teammate has put in to get himself back into game shape.
"It's unreal. He had a really tough year, so I'm so happy for him to enjoy life. He can do what he loves," Dahlin said. "He's got a lot of motivation, he's been having a great summer. I've had a lot of talks with him, and he's just so excited to get back, to be with the boys."
While last year couldn't have been any tougher on Dahlin and his family, you can see and sense how relieved he is now that everything is OK.
"I can finally focus on hockey and not have to worry every day. That's a big one," Dahlin added. "It's just nice to have a life back together now, and I'm ready to go. I was able to actually train this summer and grind, so that was fun."
After the Sabres won the Atlantic Division last season, finished second overall in the Eastern Conference and fourth overall in the NHL, how does Dahlin feel this team can improve?
"We have to have the mindset that we're not satisfied," the captain said. "We made it halfway in the playoffs, and we want more. And to win in this league is hard, so it starts now with hard work, and it's not going to get easier."
While the Sabres won't be game planning for the Blue Jackets on Tuesday, head coach Lindy Ruff knows there are things he wants to see from his group.
"It's really build for the start of the season that isn't that far away," said Ruff following Tuesday's morning skate. "There's a lot of things we can work on as a group that can help us when we hit Game 1, so we'll be looking at what we're creating and what we're giving up. We want to make sure that area of our game we get in order."
One player who will be playing in back-to-back games on Tuesday is Kulich, who logged 19:39 of ice-time and put three shots on goal in Monday's loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Ruff thinks Kulich will play in all four preseason games.
"That'll be a test, for sure," Ruff said of the 22-year-old. "But I think a year off from highly competitive hockey, now put him in situations to start to get comfortable on the ice."
Ruff thought Kulich looked rusty in Pittsburgh, but thinks there's a better version of him than we saw.
I've been talking about how the third pair of Conor Timmins and Louis Crevier are both right-shot defensemen, and Timmins has shown he struggles when playing the left side. Ruff says the pair likely won't be together that much, if at all on Tuesday.
"When you look at playing the top guys the amount we do, we can easily roll one of those left defensemen out there with either one of those guys. So I'm not looking for them to play together a lot," Ruff acknowledged. "They may see some shifts together."
TUESDAY'S LINES:
Forwards:
Krebs - Thompson - Doan
McLeod - Norris - Helenius
Benson - Ostlund - Quinn
Kulich - Carrick - Malenstyn
Defense:
Dahlin - Samuelsson
Zellweger - Power
Timmins - Crevier
Goalies:
Luukkonen - Ellis
Join Zach Jones and Derek Kramer for pregame coverage on WGR starting at 6 p.m. when you'll hear from Ruff, Dahlin and Tuesday's starting goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
