BUFFALO, N.Y. — It was inevitable Rasmus Dahlin was going to play a lot of minutes at a time in the NHL. What’s most striking is how quickly the Sabres rookie earned them regularly.
After playing 20 or more minutes in a game four times in his first 18 games, including his NHL debut, Dahlin has played 20+ minutes in 11 of the past 12 games and has averaged 23:02 over that span. Dahlin’s time to shine has arrived and, while that’s not much of a surprise considering his talent and ability, it’s been a learning process for him.
“I didn’t really come in with expectations. I didn’t know how it should go,” Dahlin said. “Of course everyone wants to play a lot of minutes, but now when I play I feel comfortable with a lot of minutes. It feels, of course, better. I feel more comfortable out there.”
It’s well known that the 18-year-old defensive phenomenon had to adjust to playing both in the NHL and on the smaller ice surface in North America. But for any defensive prospect taken that high in the draft, the more anticipated progression is when the reins will loosen — and the rest will follow.