Player Discussion Rasmus Dahlin Part 2- D (1st Overall, 2018, Frölunda HC, SHL)

[TheMistyStranger]

holy hyperbole

Dahlin is not going to be better than Eichel. Eichel may finally have a linemate who is not a boat anchor. I suspect he will easily exceed a point per game this year and nobody will be saying Dahlin will be better

I 100% believe Dahlin will be better than Eichel.

 

[GellMann]

Hey Sabre fans

Honest question. From watching Dahlin, you can see he will be fine long term, great pick obviously.

I was wondering if you guys, as a fanbase, ever worry that his development could be hurt by playing this year in the NHL and in Buffalo?

I ask because it's historically been a lot harder on young teenage D.

IMO he is thriving right here. It's certainly not easy for him, so he makes mistakes and has so much to learn every night. But it's not too difficult either - he can make 98% of his reads and decisions in perfect time. The thing I watch for with rookies is if they have caught up to the speed of the game mentally - Thompson hasn't and so he's sitting. Dahlin is already there, and so he can focus on how to make the best play, not on how to survive each shift. Lower leagues wouldn't give him the challenges the NHL does, and he doesn't need them to scale up his processing.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Hey Sabre fans

Honest question. From watching Dahlin, you can see he will be fine long term, great pick obviously.

I was wondering if you guys, as a fanbase, ever worry that his development could be hurt by playing this year in the NHL and in Buffalo?

I ask because it's historically been a lot harder on young teenage D.

If there was a way to ruin his development, the sabres would find a way to do it. Luckily, he's good enough that he'll develop well anywhere.

 

[sabrebuild]

holy hyperbole

Dahlin is not going to be better than Eichel. Eichel may finally have a linemate who is not a boat anchor. I suspect he will easily exceed a point per game this year and nobody will be saying Dahlin will be better

Why are you so sure that Dahlin couldn’t be better?

 

[Ralonzo]

There's a line of thought that the great players make the plays other players can't make, but the elite players make the plays other players can't even see.

Dahlin does a couple things like that per game, along with a couple rookie things. It's fun to watch.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

There's a line of thought that the great players make the plays other players can't make, but the elite players make the plays other players can't even see.

Dahlin does a couple things like that per game, along with a couple rookie things. It's fun to watch.

I've always been partial to this quote describing Chelios' greatness. To paraphrase, "he was so good he could make the wrong play because it let him hit someone, recover, then make the right play like he was never out of position."

 

[CatsforReinhart]

holy hyperbole

Dahlin is not going to be better than Eichel. Eichel may finally have a linemate who is not a boat anchor. I suspect he will easily exceed a point per game this year and nobody will be saying Dahlin will be better

Dahlin will be better. Maybe not a fair comparison but we are talking Lidstrom vs Modano level. I am not saying those players equal those players but just trying to give a comparison that people would get.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

Dahlin is probably going to be a positive on-ice presence more quickly than Eichel was, but Eichel is in a better position to benefit from additional talent, and young enough that his prime will largely overlap with Dahlin's.

As a result, we could very well have a circumstance where Eichel keeps scoring more, while Dahlin's production flattens for a few seasons as he takes on tougher minutes. Defensive scoring is also way more subject to variance, so a 45 point season from Rasmus could just as easily have been 55-60.

 

[dortt]

Why are you so sure that Dahlin couldn’t be better?

It's that Eichel will be that good.

Just needs the linemates to finish the chances he creates every game. Maybe he's found that with Skinner. How many times the past few years would Eich make a pass like he did to spring the 2 on 1, only for the teammates to bungle it?

 

[darcyRegier]

I also think that Jack's going to be much better because we have another elite player on the team in Dahlin, and vice versa. Kind of like how Malkin and Crosby elevate each other because the opposing team has to gameplay for both.

 

[Dingo44]

None of these savages did either.

Die leafs, die!!!!!

 

[sabrebuild]

It's that Eichel will be that good.

Just needs the linemates to finish the chances he creates every game. Maybe he's found that with Skinner. How many times the past few years would Eich make a pass like he did to spring the 2 on 1, only for the teammates to bungle it?

I mean ok, but that isn’t a reason.

They will both have the same teammates. Dahlin was drafted higher and has equal if not more scouting love. And to start their careers, Dahlin has been flat out better.

Time will tell, but Dahlin looks incredible to me, all the time, in a way Jack does more infrequently. His vision to kill attacks is very impressive and his decision making to act on his eyes is crazy good for his age. His passing is excellent. He already has shown the hands a few times without putting the team in jeopardy regularly.

And a smaller thing, but Jack was far more nhl ready, body wise than Dahlin. I think Rasmus still has 20 lbs to go, comfortably, and his game takes an exponential jump.

Awesome to have both.

 

[OkimLom]

holy hyperbole

Dahlin is not going to be better than Eichel. Eichel may finally have a linemate who is not a boat anchor. I suspect he will easily exceed a point per game this year and nobody will be saying Dahlin will be better

There's more to judge a player than just statistics. Dahlin's ability to play hockey overall is already better than Eichel has shown so far in his career. Dahlin has been better at using his linemates, hes been better/more consistent at separating the puck from other players, he's been better at controlling the play and pace of the game (something Eichel was hyped as doing, but hasn't shown it consistently).

Eichel is the more talented player when looking at his toolset, but Dahlin has an elite toolset himself, and has used it in a more productive way.

 

[1point21Gigawatts]

Comparing a defenseman and a center is like comparing a greyhound to a horse - both are fast and both race, but they are not the same thing.

 

[dortt]

a lot of this Dahlin is better than Eichel is simply Dahlin is the new shiny toy

Dahlin will grow into a legit #1 NHL defenseman. An exceptionally valuable piece. Eichel likely wins a couple of Hart trophies

 

[Prntscrn]

Comparing a defenseman and a center is like comparing a greyhound to a horse - both are fast and both race, but they are not the same thing.

And Sabres has both, be happy with that.

 

[Duddy]

Dahlin has the potential to be the best defender in the league for the next 10+ years. Eichel is more Tavares than Crosby/McDavid.

 

[OkimLom]

Dahlin has the potential to be the best defender in the league for the next 10+ years. Eichel is more Tavares than Crosby/McDavid.

I'd say more Malkin than Tavares. But I get what you're saying.

 

[Sansbacon]

All it takes is a few bad apples to f*** up a thread.

We’re seriously arguing about who the better player will be between 2 young studs on the same team, who also play completely different positions?

 

[sufferer]

All it takes is a few bad apples to **** up a thread.

We’re seriously arguing about who the better player will be between 2 young studs on the same team, who also play completely different positions?

I'm just grateful we're in a position to have such a discussion. I bet Red Wings fans miss their Yzerman v Lidstrom pissing matches if they even had any.

 

[sabrebuild]

a lot of this Dahlin is better than Eichel is simply Dahlin is the new shiny toy

Dahlin will grow into a legit #1 NHL defenseman. An exceptionally valuable piece. Eichel likely wins a couple of Hart trophies

Sure.

 

[Jim Bob]

a lot of this Dahlin is better than Eichel is simply Dahlin is the new shiny toy

Dahlin will grow into a legit #1 NHL defenseman. An exceptionally valuable piece. Eichel likely wins a couple of Hart trophies

McDavid and Matthews say naaaahhhhh.

 

[Sansbacon]

I'm just grateful we're in a position to have such a discussion. I bet Red Wings fans miss their Yzerman v Lidstrom pissing matches if they even had any.

Those discussions would’ve had to have taken place in person, because message boards didn’t exist in the beginning of their young careers. We all know that personal debates are full of the same vitriol as forum debates, amiright?

This shit just leads to more “I told you so’s” than any kind of positive narrative. I hate when I get caught up in these discussions because it’s always guaranteed to ruin hockey a little bit for me. I would, however, like to continue checking in to this thread for any player updates, interviews, quotes, etc., but some of you can’t have nice things.

Now please carry on with your nonsensical bullshit.

 

[Yultron]

Dahlin has the potential to be the best defender in the league for the next 10+ years. Eichel is more Tavares than Crosby/McDavid.

Well as every scout last year kept saying “He’s the best NHL defense prospect in the last 45 years since Dennis Potvin “. He is the Conor Mcdavid and Auston Matthews of this generation except he’s a defenseman . He very likely will be the best defenseman for a very long time

 

[Moskau]

a lot of this Dahlin is better than Eichel is simply Dahlin is the new shiny toy

Dahlin will grow into a legit #1 NHL defenseman. An exceptionally valuable piece. Eichel likely wins a couple of Hart trophies

And the Bills might still make the playoffs this season, right?