Okay, granted organization is bad. But Tavares worked endlessly to improve his game, and especially his skating. Dahlin still can't skate 3 years into his career. Who's fault is that?
Not saying Tavares didn't work hard and improve with the Isles, with what looked like minimal help from the Isles, but A LOT of stuff that could have easily been cleaned up with coaching festered. He was notorious for 2 minute shifts, especially in OT, stupid drop passes entering the zone going the other way, lazy, dumb, selfish retaliatory penalties. The same terrible shoot out move, EVERY FREAKING TIME, that NEVER worked. Power plays went to die on his stick, the SAME stuff that NEVER worked. The pouting when the team got other good players, or management (Barzal and Lou in particular). He seemed to be content with losing or going to Toronto, partially on him, but mostly on the organization culture, which was a culture of being an also ran. Being in a bad environment is toxic and it stunts players development and performance. Coaches are supposed to do their job, which is to put the players in the best position to succeed and to win as a TEAM. Buffalo is TOXIC right now and has been for 10+ years, same with Edmonton, Ottawa and a few other organizations. So many great hockey players in such BUM settings. And these crappy organization just keep getting rewarded with high draft picks. Who was the last high draft pick to completely change the culture of a losing team without ownership change? Ovechkin with the Caps is the only one that comes to mind quickly for me.
On Dahlin, yeah, he looks SLOW. Anders Lee looked fast with him on the ice. He needs to work on that, but if the team gives him no guidance OR bad advice or bad coaching.....it's going to hinder his development. Being far from home and in a probably toxic environment, not going to be easy. If his work ethic isn't insane like Tavares, he's not going to come remotely close to maximizing his talents, which are potentially world class. Dahlin definitely needs leadership and mentoring, which it doesn't appear Buffalo is going to give him.
Looked small too. Maybe it was camera angles? Buffalo has been and still is TOXIC. Jeff Skinner on the 4th line playing with Riley freaking Sheahan. Didn't he once go 0-81, then 2 goals in Gm#82? All really good/great players should demand out of toxic situations, might make the league take notice and force these terrible organizations to try to compete.