LD Rasmus Dahlin (2018, 1st, BUF) Part 3
- Thread starter garnetpalmetto
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Lexus
OWN THE MOMENT.
- Jan 29, 2009
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Ristolianin is pretty solid as a power play QB, and i think Risto has a better slapper As of right now.
Hopefully down the road, they can add him in the 4 slot that they're wasting on Okposo.
- Jan 22, 2007
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Risto isn't a PP QB, he's a big bomb from the point. The Sabres also have another bomb on the PP in Eichel. What they need are creative playmakers like Dahlin and Mittelstadt on the PP instead of Okposo and whoever.
Defenses will need to guard against the shots of Eichel and Ristolainen while Dahlin and Mittelstadt have room to create. If defenses don't respect Dahlin on the PP, he'd eat them alive.
The Sabres should 100% go with a 3F-2D format on the main PP... Eichel-Reinhart-Mittelstadt-Dahlin-Ristolainen.
From what I've seen he's been very good defensively, reads the situations well, calm with the puck as you would expect in his own zone, very good 1on1 etc. Playing a smart and a mature game easing into it. Just wait until the nerves and pressure are gone and lets loose offensively too, which is what he does best. Focus right now seems to be to not make any mistakes which is understandable with all the pressure from being a no 1 pick, new country, team and league.
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La Cosa Nostra
Caporegime
- Jun 25, 2009
- 14,136
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This kid is so smooth. So good defensively and he is 18 years old. The points will come but if Dahlin is going to play like that in his zone all year as long as he puts up 30-35 points and there isn't a 65+ point rookie he should take the Calder. He is already a bona fide top 4 D man.
VictorLustig
Registered User
- Feb 8, 2012
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A rebuilding team like Buffalo should have room for guys like Mittelstadt, Dahlin and Skinner to play in offensive situations.
Kcb12345
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CallMeShaft
Elmo is a Nazi
- Apr 14, 2014
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Looks steady. The points will come. The fact that he's in the NHL at 18 should be enough for anyone wanting anything out of him. It's not easy being that young and playing against the world's best.
tsujimoto74
Moderator
- May 28, 2012
- 31,177
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Not yet. He hasn't really gotten any PP time so, so it's pretty much ES or bust on a team that's been awful at ES scoring over the last ~5 years. He came close to registering his 1st point a few times against NYR (took a shot that led to a rebound that Thompson tapped in with a high stick, clanked one off the bar, and got stoned by Lundqvist on another rush). I'm not worried in the slightest. If he keeps doing what he's doing, the points will start coming.
Rabid Ranger
2 is better than one
This is a fair take. Steady is remarkable for a player his age at that position. You see glimpses of his talent.
VictorLustig
Registered User
- Feb 8, 2012
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AustonsNostrils
Registered User
- Apr 5, 2016
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Kid is mature beyond his years, he's playing very well, shifty edgework in his own end to get some space to make tape to tape outlet passes - he's not dangling much because he's so mature, he already knows that's not going to work most of the time in the NHL, he knows his defense partner McCabe while not a bad player isn't good enough to be left alone while he plays deep in the offensive zone. He's putting his team and his own development ahead of his desire to make the highlight reels.
He is going to be a stud Norris caliber dman, will take a few years though.
He is going to be a stud Norris caliber dman, will take a few years though.
Paxon
202? Stanley Cup Champions
Unlike the preseason where he was trying to make things happen, which resulted in many errors, so far he's just been playing positional defense while making quick passes. He's very good playing this way already. Once he goes back to trying to make things happen he will really wake people up.
IMO no, when you watch in real-time he lays the hit very quickly after the offensive player gives up the puck. Half a second later, probably interference, but this was a good hit.
lawrence
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- May 19, 2012
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Kcb12345
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It was borderline but no the player didn't have possession. He had just chipped the puck past to go by and Dahlin did not let him get to the puck. Usually this is okay if he just stands in front of him but I see them call this all the time as interference. This one was borderline though cause maybe half a second to a second at most had passed since the player had possession
Paxon
202? Stanley Cup Champions
The hit came on so quickly after the dump that for me it's very clearly not interference. Even in the slowed down replay barely a second passed.
They run their PP through Eichel, he's not a guy just there because he has a bomb, he absolutely is a creative playmaker. It is somewhat true for Risto though. A PP with Eichel, Risto and Dahlin may get in each other's way given where they like to operate from.
Currently if I'm not mistaken, the Sabre's run their first unit with Eichel on the left half-wall which allows him a one-timer, they use Risto as the 1d back who walks the line, Reinhart as the screener, Okposo as the right-half wall, and are now using Sheary (and Previously ROR) as the middle crasher.
Now, I think if they could use one of their better players on the right half-wall such as Mittelstadt or Skinner, or even move Sam over to it. If you switch to Dahlin, he is probably best used as the 1d who walks the line, and not trying to QB it from the other half-wall, which he'd be asked to do in a 2d set-up. The reason for this is, that Risto in a 2d set-up is probably best utilized either walking the line or as the one-time option in the spot Eichel likes to operate from. That's an easy position to get into with a slight shift for Risto and Eichel through movement, but if Risto is the guy on the left-halfwall, its very hard for him to be set up for a one-timer as its not a natural position for your left-half-wall guy to be in. You could try using Dahlin on the right-half wall, but that probably isn't optimal usage of him. For these reasons, I don't think to put Risto and Dahlin on the same PP with Eichel is a good idea. Now, you could easily convince me that Dahlin should play over Risto. But, one the only thing Risto has shown to be highly proficent at so far in his career is being used as PP guy, and he's getting paid a tidy sum to do that.
Paxon
202? Stanley Cup Champions
What's not optimal usage for Dahlin is giving him 30 seconds on PP2. He can directly replace Okposo, then figure it out from there. Okposo shouldn't be on PP1. The poor guy has looked a mess going back to last season. I don't see why Dahlin couldn't play there in the exact existing PP set-up.
As stated, it probably just makes more sense to take off Okposo and Risto, and replace them with Skinner/Mittelstadt on the right half-wall and then put Dahlin as the guy who walks the line. To be honest though, given how the Sabre's like to run their PP through the left half-wall, you probably want a guy with a strong shot and willingness to crash the net on the right-side. Okposo of 4 years ago was perfect for that. That probably makes Skinner the best option there.
The other option is to give PP2 more time and try to run a strong balanced attack. Thompson on the Left-half-wall for his one-timer, Dahlin walking the line, and Mittelstadt creating playing the creator on the left could work very well if you find competent people to be the net-front and net-crasher roles, which tend to be the easier found players for a PP.
Artorius Horus T
sincerety
I am really questioning most fans here of their understanding ice hockey, game after game you guys see Dahlin play so good
and say how good he is defensively,how well he plays and all....so far i haven't seen those things mentioned of him in this thread.
In game vs Vegas, was clearly his worst game of the 3, had several defensive errors, mismanaged pucks (under pressure mistakes)
he was completely flat footed by Noesek in a one shift, Dahlin couldn't read the play well, he went to his right, when Noesek
past him from his left, in this play Noesek almost scored a goal for Vegas.
His only shot on goal of the game, i admit, that was great puck movement of him forwards, but his shot thou...embarrassing,
Fleury was completely off positioned, there was so much space for Dahlin's shot, but he failed, big.
His overall skating vs Knights, which is supposedly his A ability, was nothing special.
The hit....oh-boy, the hit. Another over and over displayed highlight off of him, which again, wasn't even that great to begin with,
oh and the hit BTW,..was a clear penalty.
Yeah i get it, he is only 18, European d-man, so i should have more relative point of view when looking at his game,
but the fact how much he has been hyped and how many fans thinks he scores this many goals and points and
how its his Calder to lose and all, its ridiculous, so far he has not looked like 1st overall pick, no matter how you look at it.
- relatively looking or not
There have been so many rookies this season playing way better what Dahlin, yes he is probably the youngest rookie this season
and he is a d-man, but he has been out played by other 1st rounders and by 2nd&3rd rounders, even by undrafted ones,
d-men and forwards, few of them are less than year older, most of are u20.
All that said, i still think that one day he will become a franchise d-man for the Sabres and of the best in the NHL
but not time any soon, like every single Swede NHL d-man so far, he too will take lots of time to develop to his full potential.
Youngest ever Swedish d-man who made it big, has been one of the greatest d-man even played this sport and he was 20 going for 21,
and his name was;N. Lidström. For example, V. Hedman was 23 when he finally became what he is today.
and say how good he is defensively,how well he plays and all....so far i haven't seen those things mentioned of him in this thread.
In game vs Vegas, was clearly his worst game of the 3, had several defensive errors, mismanaged pucks (under pressure mistakes)
he was completely flat footed by Noesek in a one shift, Dahlin couldn't read the play well, he went to his right, when Noesek
past him from his left, in this play Noesek almost scored a goal for Vegas.
His only shot on goal of the game, i admit, that was great puck movement of him forwards, but his shot thou...embarrassing,
Fleury was completely off positioned, there was so much space for Dahlin's shot, but he failed, big.
His overall skating vs Knights, which is supposedly his A ability, was nothing special.
The hit....oh-boy, the hit. Another over and over displayed highlight off of him, which again, wasn't even that great to begin with,
oh and the hit BTW,..was a clear penalty.
Yeah i get it, he is only 18, European d-man, so i should have more relative point of view when looking at his game,
but the fact how much he has been hyped and how many fans thinks he scores this many goals and points and
how its his Calder to lose and all, its ridiculous, so far he has not looked like 1st overall pick, no matter how you look at it.
- relatively looking or not
There have been so many rookies this season playing way better what Dahlin, yes he is probably the youngest rookie this season
and he is a d-man, but he has been out played by other 1st rounders and by 2nd&3rd rounders, even by undrafted ones,
d-men and forwards, few of them are less than year older, most of are u20.
All that said, i still think that one day he will become a franchise d-man for the Sabres and of the best in the NHL
but not time any soon, like every single Swede NHL d-man so far, he too will take lots of time to develop to his full potential.
Youngest ever Swedish d-man who made it big, has been one of the greatest d-man even played this sport and he was 20 going for 21,
and his name was;N. Lidström. For example, V. Hedman was 23 when he finally became what he is today.
bottomofthefoodchain
Registered User
Yeah we get it, you are pumping up Heiskanen while trying to put Dahlin down.
We’ve seen it. Snore.
Kcb12345
Registered User
- Jun 6, 2017
- 32,197
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Where did he mention Heiskanen?
Although I agree, his post is awfully negative. I too remember went McDavid went 3 games without a point (or was it a goal? Either way) and people started freaking out lmao. It's been 3 games...3...everyone needs to chill. Dahlin will find his game just like how some rookies putting up good numbers right now will see their production drop. Theres 79 games left and so many things will change throughout the season
