Is Rasmus Dahlin overrated?

[izlez]

Who would watch if fans were told the reality of that he's ready to play but he'll need probably 2 or 3 years to realize his full potential and his rookie year will likely see him put up 10 goals and anywhere from 30 to 45 points and finish with a -12 because the Sabres still have so much work to do?

I voted "no" because I have sky-high expectations for the kid. I think he'll spend his entire career (after 2-3 years) as the clear best defenseman in the NHL. I also expect him to come in and have a big impact right away.

....I also think that 10 goals 30-45 points and -12 on Buffalo is about what I expect and IS a big impact.
I'll also throw in the caveat that I expect a lot of highlight plays to go along with those 10 goals and 40 points.

 

[93LEAFS]

Was it fawning hyperbole when that coach in the tsn piece said he's better than Lidstrom and Karlsson at the same age?

Its an accurate statement, but not a very telling one.

A bunch of people were viewed as better at 17 and 18 than Bobby Clarke and Brian Trottier. It doesn't mean we should expect that person to have a better career. That's an extreme example, but still relevant.

Looking at this draft, someone like Serron Noel has a similar skill set to someone like Jamie Benn, and is more proven at 17. But, it would be entirely unreasonable to expect him to be as good as Benn, or at least expect that as the likely outcome.

Now, Dahlin is also better than other highly touted defenders at the same age who have gone on to have success such as Hedman, Doughty, and Jones. But, how big a gap there is between those is up for debate.

 

[LeafsNation75]

He suffers from the shiney new toy syndrome like majority of 1st OA picks-- I've seen the generational tag thrown out enough time recently that made me vote yes. Though a lot of it isn't from Buffalo fans.

If for whatever reason a team like Toronto was in this years draft lottery and got the 1st overall pick, I think a lot of fans from other teams would change their opinions about him and call him severely overrated. We saw it happen with Auston Matthews the moment the Leafs got the 1st pick in 2016, because some people hopped right on the Laine bandwagon right away.

 

[Halla]

Went with yes. Kid has been the most hyped dman since denis potvin

ekblad,johnson,berard,redden,jovocop didnt get this much attention as #1 picks

kid has HUGE shoes to fill if ppl are expecting him to be the mcDavid of dmen

 

[M88K]

Went with yes. Kid has been the most hyped dman since denis potvin

ekblad,johnson,berard,redden,jovocop didnt get this much attention as #1 picks

kid has HUGE shoes to fill if ppl are expecting him to be the mcDavid of dmen

Are you kidding? Ekblad won a calder on hype alone

 

[Tage2Tuch]

Before the Draft Lottery hes E Karlsson mixed with Lidstrom mixed with Orr.

Godly D-Man every team would KILL for.

Best Defensive prospect in a draft in the modern day.

Sabres win lottery.

Atlantic Division fans (some manily Leaf) "He's just a prospect...." LOL

So in THAT context he's underrated but as for the rest of the hockey world he's being rated basically as he is. A Franchise Defensemen that has the potential to be one of the best if not the very best in the game. (In his prime especially)

 

[LeafsNation75]

Before the Draft Lottery hes E Karlsson mixed with Lidstrom mixed with Orr.

Godly D-Man every team would KILL for.

Best Defensive prospect in a draft in the modern day.

Sabres win lottery.

Atlantic Division fans (some manily Leaf) "He's just a prospect...." LOL

So in THAT context he's underrated but as for the rest of the hockey world he's being rated basically as he is. A Franchise Defensemen that has the potential to be one of the best if not the very best in the game. (In his prime especially)

Just like when the Leafs won the draft lottery in 2016 immediately we saw fans of other teams try to discredit Matthews as a top prospect and say how much better Laine was going to be.

So even though the Leafs have a lot of fans on here you have to admit there is good number of fans of other teams that love to bash them whenever they can.

 

[Hunter368]

Draft is still a ways away so this could change, but I actually think he’s been hyped less then either AM or Laine during their draft year.....by a fair bit.

I think the kid deserves more hype TBH

 

[LeafsNation75]

Draft is still a ways away so this could change, but I actually think he’s been hyped less then either AM or Laine during their draft year.....by a fair bit.

Considering that Toronto is the #1 NHL market and in Canada it's easy to see why Matthews got a lot of hype.

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

Dahlin is not supposed to be another Hedman. His potential is far higher and he is a much more heralded prospect. He is the best D prospect in over 40 f***ing years. He is absolutely a McDavid level prospect and I said that way before the Sabres ever won the lottery.

hF can think he's overrated. We will just sit and laugh and reap the rewards when he's a Norris level dman by the end of his ELC if not sooner.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Dahlin is not supposed to be another Hedman. His potential is far higher and he is a much more heralded prospect. He is the best D prospect in over 40 ****ing years. He is absolutely a McDavid level prospect and I said that way before the Sabres ever won the lottery.

hF can think he's overrated. We will just sit and laugh and reap the rewards when he's a Norris level dman by the end of his ELC if not sooner.

if you're expecting him to be a far better player than Hedman, you're not going to be laughing

 

[Halla]

Are you kidding? Ekblad won a calder on hype alone

Ekblad didnt have Dahlin hype. not even close.
Florida wasnt even a lock to take him. many thought they might have grabbed one of the sames or the big german

in hindsight he is at best the 3rd best player from the draft...and guys like nylander,ehlers,larkin and point could still pass him. PPl would be beyond shocked if Dahlin doesnt turn out to be the best of this draft the way he is hyped

 

[Halla]

Dahlin is not supposed to be another Hedman. His potential is far higher and he is a much more heralded prospect. He is the best D prospect in over 40 ****ing years. He is absolutely a McDavid level prospect and I said that way before the Sabres ever won the lottery.

hF can think he's overrated. We will just sit and laugh and reap the rewards when he's a Norris level dman by the end of his ELC if not sooner.

Hedman is coming off 16g/72pt and 17g/63pt seasons....potential is "far higher"?

you are basically expecting him to 70pt+ player before his ELC ends? good luck with that

 

[Signupnow]

I do not think he is overrated at all. You just have to look at him play to understand that he is something special. Another factor as to why i think he will continue to improve unlike ekblad is that he isnt psysically matured like a 30 years old yet with a full grown beard. There was only 1 test during that camp thing he finished top 25 in among prospects? Which means that he will get stronger on top of all these skills that he has. Just wait until he get his first injections of steroids and transform like karlsson did over a summer and you shall see what is gonna happen.

 

[Notsince67]

Dahlin is merely "Rated". Until he plays, it is impossible to assess a differential.

 

[greasysnapper]

I do not think he is overrated at all. You just have to look at him play to understand that he is something special. Another factor as to why i think he will continue to improve unlike ekblad is that he isnt psysically matured like a 30 years old yet with a full grown beard. There was only 1 test during that camp thing he finished top 25 in among prospects? Which means that he will get stronger on top of all these skills that he has. Just wait until he get his first injections of steroids and transform like karlsson did over a summer and you shall see what is gonna happen.

The first part, not the facetious part about steroids is exactly why I am not as quick to buy into the hype of Dahlin. I'm prepared to eat crow but I don't think he'll be strong enough to play the position to be the type of 1d some people think he's capable of being. Physical testing while far from an exact science especially in hockey is garnering more and more power in player assessment, we're seeing a lot more testing in the behavioural and physical side of things nowadays and it's starting to really shed some light on prospect evaluations-- all across sports, including hockey. It is true, that Dahlin had a pretty bad showing at the combine, and it is true that means there's plenty of room for improvement, but it could also mean he couldn't.

Biologically not everyone is the same and some players have a harder time building strength and size not to mention building strength and size while building their game. You can't just say, oh he'll put on 25 pounds and get bigger and stronger. Sometimes it just doesn't happen. Sometimes it does and the player can't adjust. Sam Bennett is a good example of lack of strength at 18, and then putting almost 20 pounds on and looking worse than he did in his rookie season. Jake Virtanen needed to put on size, and through horrible coaching almost ruined his career and certainly his projection. Mueller's another one. Huge lanky frame, with confidence issues and will likely end up being a first round bust despite many saying "he's got the frame and skills to be good, he just needs the size."

I think Dahlin will be good, but I think he's grossly overrated. He'll be a great player, but to say this kid is destined to be the next Karlsson, or generational, or whatever that a bunch of people are saying is mad. He's got tons of talent, but there's a lot of mystery in this prospect to make him a surefire top defender.