Dahlin appointed new captain of Sabres
Published
The Buffalo Sabres have appointed defenceman Rasmus Dahlin as their captain for the 2024-25 campaign.
Dahlin replaces forward Kyle Okposo, who held the role for two seasons before he was traded to the Florida Panthers at the trade deadline last season.
“Rasmus sets the tone for our team each and every day with how he prepares and competes. He is respected by his teammates and coaches, both for his actions at the rink and his commitment to our Western New York community," general manager Kevyn Adams said in a news release. "We are so proud to have a player and person of Rasmus’ caliber wear the “C” and lead our team into the future.”
Dahlin finished tied for team scoring with 20 goals and 59 points in 81 games last year. His 59 points were also good for 10th in the league at his position.
Drafted first overall in 2018, Dahlin has 66 goals and 292 points in 436 career games.
“He does everything right, first and foremost,” head coach Lindy Ruff said in the same release. “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.”
The 24-year-old defenceman represented the Sabres at the last three All-Star Games and signed an eight-year, $88 million extension last October.
Filling out the Sabres' leadership group will be forwards Alex Tuch, Dylan Cozens, Tage Thompson, and defenceman Mattias Samuelson, who will all serve as alternate captains on a rotational basis.