How will Dahlin rank offensively among D this season?

[lawrence]

It’s a rough year for him and everyone on that team. His stats does not really reflect how he is because he is a better player then his stats this year , and I think him and eichel are better players then their stats indicate. It seems like he’s just counting down the days until their season is done. All and all a year to forget for his young career.

 

[BlueBaron]

I honestly think Buffalo is not helping this kid at all, and I don't mean to come off like an ass about that organization. He will get better.

In saying that I believe the hype was too damn high on this kid. Once the league slapped the "generational" tag on him it was over, and it's also why he gets the benefit of the doubt on these boards.

But he has not been as good as many of the young D around the league.

I didn't hear anyone but Sabres fans calling him Generational. I also remember being told he was better than many current #1D before he had ever played a game. Sabres fans, the vocal ones at least, thought they were getting the McDavid of D-men based on very few experts implying anything like that so they were set up for disappointment.

You're right though that the Organization is not a help in developing players. Dahlin and Eichel are exceptional talents, one powered through it already and the other likely will to but I feel guys Mittlestadt would be different players if groomed better. Even Dahlin could benefit from having and older, once great D to learn from but he'll manage.

 

[ijuka]

The choices cap out at 20 and he's currently 62nd.

What a remarkably biased poll.

 

[keglu]

The choices cap out at 20 and he's currently 62nd.

What a remarkably biased poll.

To me it seems like karma for poll options.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Most likely between 4 and 9 imo.

 

[Love]

Krueger is still the coach so probably around 15

Wow you nailed it

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

This thread is aging really well. Especially the posts about Dahlin being better than Makar. Dahlin is by far the worst out of the four as of today, in all areas. Still got his potential though, however he might not live up to it unless he learns how to skate again.

You win the hot take contest.

He plays for a disaster of a team that until recently had the worst coach in the league. People want to take advantage of that this guy is playing the worst stretch of his career during the worst season Buffalo’s had since 2015 because they know he’s still the standard to reach for all other young defensemen.

 

[Adamantoise]

You win the hot take contest.

He plays for a disaster of a team that until recently had the worst coach in the league. People want to take advantage of that this guy is playing the worst stretch of his career during the worst season Buffalo’s had since 2015 because they know he’s still the standard to reach for all other young defensemen.

Theres no way you can convince anyone that a transcendent talent such as Makar wouldnt stand out even in Buffalo.

 

[koyvoo]

Theres no way you can convince anyone that a transcendent talent such as Makar wouldnt stand out even in Buffalo.

It’s this season that’s the anamoly. Even Eichel looks worse than dog shit. Has not Eichel not stood out before? Did Dahlin not stand out in Buffalo when he put the second most points by an 18 year old defenseman in the entire history of the league?

 

[MrHeiskanen]

The choices cap out at 20 and he's currently 62nd.

What a remarkably biased poll.

I voted top 20 back at the start of the season, but that vote meant top 100.

 

[TruePowerSlave]

It’s this season that’s the anamoly. Even Eichel looks worse than dog shit. Has not Eichel not stood out before? Did Dahlin not stand out in Buffalo when he put the second most points by an 18 year old defenseman in the entire history of the league?

Dahlin has never been nearly as great as Makar has been in his NHL career. Not only does Makar outscore Dahlin by a lot, he also is a much better defensive player.

 

[koyvoo]

Dahlin has never been nearly as great as Makar has been in his NHL career. Not only does Makar outscore Dahlin by a lot, he also is a much better defensive player.

My point is that if even guys in Buffalo who have been top produces for years, like Eichel and Hall, maybe Skinner etc, then you’re analogy was silly.

Do you think that I’m a Sabres or Dahlin fanboy or something? Because you’re stance, or approach to the subject suggest that you’ve spent much time in adolescent style arguments about these two defensemen.

That’s just my take reading two posts from you. I could be way off, but that’s the vibe I’m getting.

 

[TruePowerSlave]

My point is that if even guys in Buffalo who have been top produces for years, like Eichel and Hall, maybe Skinner etc, then you’re analogy was silly.

Do you think that I’m a Sabres or Dahlin fanboy or something? Because you’re stance, or approach to the subject suggest that you’ve spent much time in adolescent style arguments about these two defensemen.

That’s just my take reading two posts from you. I could be way off, but that’s the vibe I’m getting.

Naah not looking to start a fight.

I just don't think Dahlin should be compared to Makar at this point. Surely being on that turd of a Sabres team doesn’t help. However, Dahlin has been kinda awful and looks lost defensively.

 

[Crow]

Naah not looking to start a fight.

I just don't think Dahlin should be compared to Makar at this point. Surely being on that turd of a Sabres team doesn’t help. However, Dahlin has been kinda awful and looks lost defensively.

He is also 2 years younger. Would make more sense to compare him to his peers.

 

[Buck Naked]

You win the hot take contest.

He plays for a disaster of a team that until recently had the worst coach in the league. People want to take advantage of that this guy is playing the worst stretch of his career during the worst season Buffalo’s had since 2015 because they know he’s still the standard to reach for all other young defensemen.

Lucky me!

I'm sure the defenceman who skates like Milan Lucic and defends like Dan Girardi is something all teams wishes they had. His Barrie-esque offensive upside is great though!

 

[Mac Attack]

You win the hot take contest.

He plays for a disaster of a team that until recently had the worst coach in the league. People want to take advantage of that this guy is playing the worst stretch of his career during the worst season Buffalo’s had since 2015 because they know he’s still the standard to reach for all other young defensemen.

How exactly is he the standard to reach for young defensemen? He may have lots of potential still, but based on their NHL careers and not draft pedigree the standard is now Makar. Dahlin can win it back, but he has to play norris nomination hockey to do it. No more talk about having the tools.

 

[Muffin]

He is also 2 years younger. Would make more sense to compare him to his peers.

Makar is 1 year and 6 months older. At Dahlin's current age Makar was already lighting dudes up in the playoffs.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

How exactly is he the standard to reach for young defensemen? He may have lots of potential still, but based on their NHL careers and not draft pedigree the standard is now Makar. Dahlin can win it back, but he has to play norris nomination hockey to do it. No more talk about having the tools.

He's the standard because he's the player everyone always wants to compare players to. If you look at the criticisms these young players get, Dahlin gets way more when he struggles than the others. There might be some comments that criticize Makar or Hughes when they struggle, but the amount of comments is magnified when Dahlin struggles. Thats because everyone wants to compare their team's players to Dahlin. They know that when its all settled Dahlin is the player their team's player is going to have to have the better career than to be the best.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Makar is 1 year and 6 months older. At Dahlin's current age Makar was already lighting dudes up in the playoffs.

Have you watched Dahlin recently? He's been playing well.

This seems to happen every season where Dahlin has a bad stretch, he comes out of that bad stretch, and then fans don't catch on until 20-30 games.

 

[Buck Naked]

Have you watched Dahlin recently? He's been playing well.

This seems to happen every season where Dahlin has a bad stretch, he comes out of that bad stretch, and then fans don't catch on until 20-30 games.

Nah, Dahlin was awful in the 20-30 game stretch as well.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Nah, Dahlin was awful in the 20-30 game stretch as well.

I don't even know what you're saying. Last season Dahlin struggled the first few weeks, and you still had fans saying in January or February when he was playing well that he was struggling.

 

[Buck Naked]

I don't even know what you're saying. Last season Dahlin struggled the first few weeks, and you still had fans saying in January or February when he was playing well that he was struggling.

I read it as fans didn't catch on until 20-30 games into the season.

 

[rangersfansince08]

He's the standard because he's the player everyone always wants to compare players to. If you look at the criticisms these young players get, Dahlin gets way more when he struggles than the others. There might be some comments that criticize Makar or Hughes when they struggle, but the amount of comments is magnified when Dahlin struggles. Thats because everyone wants to compare their team's players to Dahlin. They know that when its all settled Dahlin is the player their team's player is going to have to have the better career than to be the best.

Nothing indicates Dahlin will have a better career than Makar. Only thing that can hold back Makar is injuries.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Nothing indicates Dahlin will have a better career than Makar. Only thing that can hold back Makar is injuries.

Dahlin is a year and a half younger than Makar. You can't always compare young players who are different ages, and if you are able to, it likely means it's not a close debate when you are talking about one younger player thats a year and a half younger than another. At each age Dahlin's been better than Makar.

 

[thadd]

This has not aged well. Everyone who voted suggested he would be top 20.