With first-place locked up in the Atlantic Division, the Sabres will rest several key players in their final regular-season game, including Rasmus Dahlin. The 26-year-old Swedish defenseman had a terrific season with Buffalo, scoring a career-high 74 points (19G / 55A) in 77 games.
Dahlin returned to Sweden to be with his fiancée, who recently underwent a heart transplant, during the Christmas break, and did not make it back in time for Saturday's game. Expect him to play Monday in St. Louis.
Sabres' head coach Lindy Ruff announced that Dahlin will be away from the team indefinitely to tend to personal matters in Sweden. The 25-year-old Dahlin has nine points (1G / 8A), 17 blocks, 12 hits, and a -11 plus/minus through 14 games this season. Expect Owen Power to see an uptick in ice time, including likely taking over the role as the quarterback on the team's top powerplay unit.
The Sabres have lost 13 straight (0-8-3), and are 0-7-2 since Dahlin has been out of the lineup. The struggling Sabres will be desperate to get their elite defenseman back into the lineup as they try to right the ship. The 24-year-old is averaging 24:42 and has 19 points (6G / 13A) in 25 games this season.
The Sabres have lost 11 straight (0-8-3), and are 0-5-2 since Dahlin has been out of the lineup. The struggling Sabres will be desperate to get their elite defenseman back into the lineup as they try to right the ship. The 24-year-old is averaging 24:42 and has 19 points (6G / 13A) in 25 games this season.
The Sabres have lost 11 straight (0-8-3), and are 0-5-2 since Dahlin has been out of the lineup. The struggling Sabres will be desperate to get their elite defenseman back into the lineup as they try to right the ship. The 24-year-old is averaging 24:42 and has 19 points (6G / 13A) in 25 games this season.
Dahlin has missed the last two games due to back spams and will likely miss at least two more but could return this weekend. The 24-year-old Dahlin has 19 points (6G / 13A) through 25 games this season and is a crushing blow for a Sabres club amid a season-worst six-game losing skid.
Dahlin has missed the last two games due to back spams and will likely miss at least two more but could return this weekend. The 24-year-old Dahlin has 19 points (6G / 13A) through 25 games this season and is a crushing blow for a Sabres club amid a season-worst six-game losing skid.
Sabres' head coach Lindy Ruff is hopeful that Dahlin's injury will not be a long-term concern but his absence from the lineup on Thursday remains a crushing blow for the team. Dahlin exited Tuesday's game in the third period after playing 17:16 time-on-ice. The 24-year-old Dahlin has 19 points (6G / 13A) through 25 games this season. The Sabres recalled Ryan Johnson from Rochester (AHL) as a possible lineup replacement for Dahlin on the blueline.
Dahlin exited Tuesday's game in the third period after playing 17:16 time-on-ice. There was no update on Dahlin following the game but he was dealing with a related issue during training camp. The 24-year-old Dahlin has 19 points (6G / 13A) through 25 games this season.
Dahlin left practice early on Wednesday with an undisclosed injury but luckily will only be forced to miss a couple of days of training camp after Lindy Ruff announced Thursday he was "doing well". The 24-year-old defenseman surpassed the 20-goal mark for the first time in his career in 2023-24 while also putting up 59 points, 235 SOG and 66 PIMs in 81 games played.
Just a few minutes into the Sabres' first skate of training camp, Dahlin left with what head coach Lindy Ruff described as a middle-body injury. Dahlin experienced discomfort on a routine pass and did not return after being evaluated by trainers. Ruff did not have an update on Dahlin after the skate.
