Rasmus Dahlin keeps putting himself in the same breath as the NHL’s very best defensemen, and the case is getting harder to ignore.
Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar sit at the top of the position for a reason. They’ve been the league’s most dependable blue-liners over the past few seasons, and between them they’ve claimed two of the last three Norris Trophies.
Makar’s play earned him a record-setting contract, while Hughes was apparently headed toward the same kind of deal. But Dahlin’s body of work deserves to be mentioned right alongside them.
Since Buffalo took Dahlin first overall in 2018, he has become the face of the Sabres’ defense. He’s done the job at both ends of the rink, piling up 102 goals and 332 assists for 434 points in eight seasons.
He has also blocked 716 shots, thrown 838 hits and forced 252 turnovers. More recently, he’s been steady in the kind of way that gets noticed nationally, topping 60 points in three of the last four seasons and staying in the Norris discussion.
The production lines up surprisingly well with the other two stars. Makar has 136 goals and 371 assists for 507 points across seven seasons, a total boosted by three 90-point campaigns.
Outside of those huge years, the gap between him and Dahlin is not nearly as dramatic as it looks at first glance. Hughes, meanwhile, has posted 66 goals and 419 assists for 485 points in eight seasons, which puts him closer to Dahlin’s range than people might assume.
There’s no denying that Makar and Hughes have had the flashier résumé. They’ve also had more postseason and international success.
Still, when you zoom out, Dahlin’s all-around impact belongs in the same conversation. He’s producing like a star and carrying captain’s responsibilities as the face of the franchise.
That combination only makes what he’s doing more impressive.
It also makes his contract look like one of the best bargains in hockey. Makar’s average annual value sits at a record $20.4 million, and Hughes is set to match it.
Dahlin, by comparison, signed an eight-year deal worth $11 million annually before the 2024-25 season. Buffalo is getting elite defenseman production for a little more than half the market rate, and that kind of value matters when a team is trying to build a roster that can compete year after year.
In Other News...
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Ellis is also at a crossroads because his performance could influence more than playing time. Buffalo still has to sort through its rotation plans while keeping an eye on looming free agency for both Ellis and Lyon, and the organizations wider goalie search adds another layer of pressure to every camp session. If Ellis takes advantage of the opportunity, he could force the Sabres to rethink what they want from the position and possibly alter the way they approach the season ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Former Sabres Defenseman Is Back In Trade Rumors Again
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For Sabres fans, the angle is familiar even if the destination is not. Jokiharju was once part of Buffalos defense mix, and his name being linked to movement again naturally invites a second look, but the Sabres may not be in position to join the bidding. Buffalos recent Zach Metsa extension points toward a group that already feels more settled on defense, which could leave the former Sabres blueliner in the kind of market where one teams surplus becomes another teams opportunity. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Are Setting A Brutal Standard For These Sabres
The Sabres are coming off a season that should have raised expectations in Buffalo. They finished first in the Atlantic Division in 2025-26 and got through the first round of the playoffs, only to run into Montreal in the second round and come up short. Now the Canadiens are back with few roster changes for 2026-27, which leaves Buffalo staring at a familiar benchmark and a division rival that looks built to keep asking the same questions.
For the Sabres, the path to getting past Montreal starts with areas that have to improve, especially in goal. The gap is not just about chasing the Canadiens in the standings or trying to match them shift for shift, but proving Buffalo can handle a team that has already shown it can stand in the way when the games matter most. If that matchup ends the same way again, the pressure to shake up the roster is going to get a lot harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]