Buffalo Sabres 75 Bold Predictions for 2023-24: Prediction #5

Rasmus Dahlin enjoyed a huge campaign for the Buffalo Sabres in 2022-23. Now, he’s poised to become one of the game’s most dominant players.

Rasmus Dahlin has solidified himself as a Top 10 blueliner in the NHL, and in 2023-24, he could easily transform into a Top 10 player overall. Last year, Dahlin capped off the season with 73 points, including 15 goals and 58 assists, along with a remarkable 132 blocks, and 105 hits.

So what’s in store for Dahlin in 2023-24 that will turn him into a Top 10 player? For one, he’s going to be paid like one at some point, either shortly before or during the season. Expect something between $10 and $11 million over at least seven seasons, and the Blue and Gold will have their franchise player locked in.

And just like Tage Thompson, Dylan Cozens, and Mattias Samuelsson did after signing their lucrative deals, Dahlin will put together his biggest season to date. But let’s get bold and talk about the overall ceiling regarding what the 23-year-old could put up this season.

Bold prediction for Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin in 2023-24

Dahlin will score 85 points in 2023-24, with the bulk of them coming during the first two-thirds of the season before the Sabres shift into “playoff mode,” further igniting the blueliner’s defensive side. At which point, Dahlin will take on more of a hitter’s mentality – more of a hitter’s mentality than he will already have, and rack up the checks.

Therefore, not only will Dahlin hit the 85-point and 20-goal mark; he will also encroach the 150-hit mark and become one of the most feared “villains” among his NHL peers. We have often talked about Erik Johnson and Connor Clifton coming in to make this team more aggressive, but that aggression will also come with the players they already got.

Dahlin could end up leading the way in that realm, even if players like Clifton will be laying bone-jarring hits on opponents all year. Expect a career outing once more from Dahlin in every facet of the game, only this time, he will emerge as a Norris finalist and he could even land in the Top 10 for the Hart.

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)