SUNRISE, Fla. — When Rasmus Dahlin made his NHL debut in October, a full building in Buffalo and a good portion of the hockey world were watching.
The Sabres had another Swedish defense prospect play for the first time Friday. There were maybe 9,500 people in the arena. Only a fraction of those even knew Lawrence Pilut was debuting.
Despite the disparity in audiences, Buffalo is expecting big things from both of them. Pilut showed why.
The defenseman held his own during a 3-2 overtime loss to Florida. He was active defensively and showed his much-lauded offensive instincts. He was feisty despite a modest 5-foot-11, 180-pound frame. He made a few mistakes, but none cost the Sabres.
“It was an OK debut, I would say,” Pilut said.
His coach went a step further.
“I really liked Lawrence stepping in in this situation,” Phil Housley said. “He handled himself really well.”
It was obvious Pilut had played professionally before skating on the Panthers’ ice. While Dahlin is an 18-year-old wunderkind drafted first overall, Pilut turns 23 at the end of December and signed as a free agent after five seasons in the Swedish Hockey League.
“The experience I’ve had over in Sweden helps me out a lot,” Pilut said. “I’m ready for it.”
Here’s a shift-by-shift look at Pilut’s first NHL game, which won’t be his last.
