Rasmus Dahlin

[1972]

He’s sooooo smoooooottthhhhhh

 

[wetcoast]

But Crosby is not generational so what's your point? He is a great hockey player though.

(Who knows if Dahlin is)

Both are generational prospects and players.

 

[Boxscore]

I hate it when people on here act like this is such an uncommon opinion. A lot of older adults in real life who are huge hockey fans think Crosby is the best ever. Hockey changed, it's debatable.

Yawn.

Saying Crosby is better than Mario or Gretzky is like saying a 2004 KIA is better than a 2019 Mercedes or Jag.

It's absolutely buffoonish. No way it could be rationally spun.

 

[authentic]

Yawn.

Saying Crosby is better than Mario or Gretzky is like saying a 2004 KIA is better than a 2019 Mercedes or Jag.

It's absolutely buffoonish. No way it could be rationally spun.

Lol, you can believe what you wish there pal.

 

[I Hate Philadelphia]

So like a better version of Ivan Provorov

Once again someone can't take .5 seconds to look at my username & pic to understand that I'm not a Flyers fan.

 

[Jetcetera]

Don't get the hype. He's been good but thats about all I've seen. He's not even the best Defenseman on his own team. I get that he's only 18 but I mean Tyler Myers looked pretty sick at 19 and look at him now.

 

[CupInSIX]

You know what's a cool narrative to start? How good could Crosby have been if he didn't have multiple concussions.

Also I hope Dahlin becomes the best Dman since Orr.

 

[Royal Thunder]

Don't get the hype. He's been good but thats about all I've seen. He's not even the best Defenseman on his own team. I get that he's only 18 but I mean Tyler Myers looked pretty sick at 19 and look at him now.

If he gets a point tomorrow he will break the all time record for longest point streak by an 18 year old defenseman. I'm really not sure what more people were expecting out of him at 18 to be impressed. He's like a hockey android out there, insanely calm and doesn't get rattled when he makes an mistake.

 

[Boxscore]

If he gets a point tomorrow he will break the all time record for longest point streak by an 18 year old defenseman. I'm really not sure what more people were expecting out of him at 18 to be impressed. He's like a hockey android out there, insanely calm and doesn't get rattled when he makes an mistake.

We're in the highlight age. Points, points, points, are everything. Followed by highlights vids and clips. Some people were expecting Dahlin to dazzle in the NHL right out of the gate the way he toyed with men in the SEL. They expected a McDavid-like arrival, where he scored 55 points and went end-to-end, dropping jaws night in and night out. That is unrealistic for a defenseman. Karlsson didn't do it at 18, either did Doughty or Hedman or Weber or Subban or Jones, you name it. It doesn't happen.

It also doesn't help that a player like Heiskanen came in as a rookie - albeit a year older and more developed - and had a few clips that looked sensational. Again, these Heiskanen highlights have been burnt into the minds of some fans and they expect to see those same highlights from Dahlin, since he was labelled "generational."

I think most of this is unfair, but it's the world we live in today. That said, I think Housley should have given Dahlin more leash on the PP out of the gate to boost his confidence a little. In the beginning, it took Dahlin a while to create any offense, and I feel Housley did him no favors. I've said from the beginning, if Dahlin was used a little differently from jump, he could easily have 5 more points than he does now and would be on pace to break 50 as a rookie. Since he likely won't, there will be some fans who are disappointed. It doesn't matter that (most nights) Dahlin looks well beyond his years and shows us a glimpse of how he will be a franchise machine moving forward.

 

[Boxscore]

I will add this to the ^

Right now, as an 18 year old rookie, Dahlin has MORE points than the following D, in roughly the same amount of games:

Doughty
Ekman-Larsson
Hanifin
Gardiner
Dumba
Montour
Thoedore
Ellis
Brodie
Ekblad
Gostisbehere
Sergachev
Provorov
Faulk
Hamilton

And, he's 3 or less point behind:

Ristolainen
Werenski
Spurgeon

That's pretty darn good company for an 18 year old rook, trying to master the D position.

 

[koyvoo]

Dahlin already has the 7th best season all time among 18 year old NHL defenseman after only 47 games played.

He’ll likely end up having the 2nd best ever season all time for an 18 year old NHL defenseman, and most on this list played in a much higher scoring era.

18-Year Old NHL Defensemen - Regular Season Stats

 

[Boxscore]

Dahlin already has the 7th best season all time among 18 year old NHL defenseman after only 47 games played.

He’ll likely end up having the 2nd best ever season all time for an 18 year old NHL defenseman, and most on this list played in a much higher scoring era.

18-Year Old NHL Defensemen - Regular Season Stats

Indeed. He'll likely finish 2nd to Housley - and like you said - completely different eras. It would be nice to see him have a big 3 point game soon or some sick highlight reel plays. That would quiet the skeptics.

We're seeing the same thing with Elias Pettersson - he has a huge 4 or 5 point game and fans label him the next McDavid. Then he gets hurt again and fans say he's injury prone and will never be able to withstand the rigors of the NHL. It's what have you done for me lately around here.

 

[mouser]

Both are generational prospects and players.

I always hate the definitions of "generational". But one I will apply to be a "generational prospect" is at a minimum you have to be projected as the future #1 pick for at least 3-4 years before the draft, and keep that #1 draft status the entire time.

 

[koyvoo]

Indeed. He'll likely finish 2nd to Housley - and like you said - completely different eras. It would be nice to see him have a big 3 point game soon or some sick highlight reel plays. That would quiet the skeptics.

We're seeing the same thing with Elias Pettersson - he has a huge 4 or 5 point game and fans label him the next McDavid. Then he gets hurt again and fans say he's injury prone and will never be able to withstand the rigors of the NHL. It's what have you done for me lately around here.

Personally, when it comes to rookie defenseman, offensive production is the last thing I look at in valuations. Particular if the rookie defenseman is 18-19-20 years old or whatever.

I felt within the first week of this season after watching a couple of Dahlin’s games that his pre draft hype will be justified. Not because he dominated 60 minutes wire to wire with mistake free games. 18 year old defenseman just don’t do that. It was the glimpses that you saw of what his toolbox contains. I think he’s one of the most natural pure athletes in the league. The way he moves and the bravado he has to try certain things at certain times blow me away.

 

[Der Jaeger]

Some game highlights

 

[Apotheosis]

Lol, you can believe what you wish there pal.

Do you need to be reminded that Mario had 76 points in like what, 50 games as someone coming back from LEUKEMIA at the height of the dead puck era (you know, lower scoring eras than anything Crosby played in)?

 

[Der Jaeger]

18 years old

 

[authentic]

Do you need to be reminded that Mario had 76 points in like what, 50 games as someone coming back from LEUKEMIA at the height of the dead puck era (you know, lower scoring eras than anything Crosby played in)?

Listen, I know all too well about how amazing this was, I literally witnessed his comeback and Lemieux was by far my favourite player growing up. It was 76 points in 43 games btw, though Jagr did score 77 in 43 games as his linemate. Crosby had 78 in 45 in 2006-07 with Armstrong and Recchi, and has had other dominant stretches with a much better two-way game, plus anything before 1996-97 is not comparable to hockey since once defensive systems took over. Of course Lemieux was 35 and coming off a 3 year retirement which he gets bonus points for, but he wouldn't have scored at that pace over a full season, and was a one way player getting loads of powerplay time at that point. He had cancer in 1992-93 btw and it never returned. I believe Lemieux is the best offensive talent of all time and would be the best today but by a much smaller margin, but I know of several people older than me who saw more of Lemieux than I have, especially in the 80s and early 90s who pretty confidently claim Crosby is the best player they've ever seen. It's not as outrageous of a claim as HF makes it out to be is my point.

 

[vippe]

I've said from the beginning, if Dahlin was used a little differently from jump, he could easily have 5 more points than he does now and would be on pace to break 50 as a rookie. Since he likely won't, there will be some fans who are disappointed.

What is he on pace for? 45ish points?

I actually think he's going to hit 50 points. He has ramped up his production quite a bit since the start where I believe he had 4 points in the first 17 games. I think if he continues in the same way he has in the past 25-30 games he will get there.

Hard to be dissapointed what he has accomplished so far. Cant wait to see how he developes in the future =)

 

[nobody]

I'm a Leafs fan who has no love for Buffalo but I think this kid deserves to be the Calder trophy winner this year. EP is a fantastic player too but his numbers are stupid and unsustainable. Dahlin has stepped up his game as the season has gone on and he is making me eat my words. The kid is going to be a superstar and he's not that far away from that title. At f***ing 18. Insane.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

Don't get the hype. He's been good but thats about all I've seen. He's not even the best Defenseman on his own team. I get that he's only 18 but I mean Tyler Myers looked pretty sick at 19 and look at him now.

Ya know how EK65 dominates a game? Imagine showing flashes of that at 18. I see the hype- he makes some dumb mistakes but it seems like overconfidence and he seems to learn from ‘em. I’ll take that any day. Hockey IQ is off the charts, producing more and more already.. he’s just the perfect fit for the modern NHL. If he’s as savvy as he seems those mistakes will be gone in 2-3 years and we might have a ppg d-man that runs the ice while out there for 20+ minutes a game. Psycheddd.

That said, you have a point on Myers, just a bit different as a player I guess. Kinda flukey and too young to know better- his d partner covered him perfectly and he just never seemed to figure it out when asked to play both offense and D.

 

[elmaco]

It’s not like Heiskanen > Dahlin is a given. They have literally been neck and neck with the lead fluctuating between them all season. But I guess Finns on HFBoards gotta Finn on HfBoards.

Heiskanen plays 30 mins a night, PP and PK. Dahlin on the 2nd line 20mins. Theres a legit argument for Heiskanen without any "bias".

 

[koyvoo]

Heiskanen plays 30 mins a night, PP and PK. Dahlin on the 2nd line 20mins. Theres a legit argument for Heiskanen without any "bias".

Heiskanen played 30 mins last night. He doesn’t average 30 mins a night though. He averages 23:08, which is remarkable but his time varies greatly, many times game to game. In four of his past 8 games, he didn’t even hit the 22 minute mark.

Still, he averages about 2.5 mins a game more than Dahlin does.

 

[Seiza]

Yawn.

Saying Crosby is better than Mario or Gretzky is like saying a 2004 KIA is better than a 2019 Mercedes or Jag.

It's absolutely buffoonish. No way it could be rationally spun.

Not really interested in joining the discussion. But shouldn't the comparison be a 2019 Kia (Crosby) and a 2004 Mercedes (Mario). Then maybe the comparison isn't that far fetched? A lot happens in 15 years, both when looking at hockey players and cars. And I'm saying this as a Mario fan and not so much a Crosby fan. Different eras is always difficult to compare.

 

[johan f]

He better develop his wristshot. Too much of hesitsting in the follow thru. Easy for goalie to read.