Rasmus Dahlin’s place near the top of EA Sports’ NHL 27 defensive rankings gives the Buffalo Sabres captain another bit of recognition after a season that already put him in the Norris Trophy conversation.
Dahlin was rated 17th overall and fourth among defensemen in the game, sitting behind Zach Werenski, Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes. Hughes earned an overall grade of 95, while Dahlin and Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen were tied at 93. That lines up with Dahlin’s production last season, when he posted a career-high 74 points with 19 goals and 55 assists and finished third in Norris Trophy voting behind winner Werenski and runner-up Makar.
Buffalo had a strong team season as well, making the playoffs for the first time in 15 years, winning the Atlantic Division and coming within a goal of reaching the Eastern Conference Final.
The Sabres had three other defensemen appear in the rankings. Owen Power was listed 160th overall and 47th among blueliners with an 86 rating after finishing last season with 29 points, including eight goals and 21 assists. Power had reached a career-high 40 points and was noted for playing through injury in the playoffs.
Mattias Samuelsson also checked in at 86, landing 183rd overall and 61st among defensemen. He nearly doubled his career goal total in one season by scoring 13 last year.
Former Sabre Bowen Byram was the highest-ranked of that group after Dahlin. Byram, who was second to Dahlin in defensive scoring with 42 points on 11 goals and 31 assists, came in at 123rd overall and 36th among blueliners with an 87 rating.
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