Sabres name star defenseman their captain for 2024-25 season

The Sabres announced Thursday that they have named Rasmus Dahlin their next captain.

Dahlin succeeds Kyle Okposo, whose time as captain in Buffalo ended when they traded him to the Panthers at last season’s trade deadline. He’d been captain since the beginning of the 2022-23 season.

The 24-year-old is entering his seventh season with the Sabres, who made him the first overall pick in the 2018 draft. He’s served as an alternate captain for the past two years.

It’s a natural transition for Dahlin as he enters the first year of an eight-year, $88M extension signed at the beginning of last season. It took a while for the young Swedish defenseman to blossom at the NHL level through his entry-level contract but he has quickly become one of the league’s best.

His importance to Buffalo has become apparent over the last three years with 48 goals and 185 points in 239 games with a -13 rating. The use of his body has picked up too averaging 1.76 hits per game and 1.58 blocked shots per game. He’s earned two top-15 finishes in Norris Trophy voting the past two seasons and is looking to take another step forward this year.

If the Sabres fail to make the postseason for a 14th straight year there is little to no chance it will be because of Dahlin. He’s finished first on the team in E+/- over the last two years and finished towards the top of the team in CorsiFor% proving Buffalo is at their best when he is on the ice. His ability to carry the team on the ice proves his leadership capabilities and the organization has formalized the role.

New head coach of the Sabres, Lindy Ruff, spoke highly of the team’s new captain.

“[Dahlin] does everything right, first and foremost," Ruff said. "His on-ice action has been incredible, and I think he’s a guy that leads in every category, from the way he prepares himself to the way he plays and the fact that he’s a guy who cares about winning hockey games“.