The No. 1 pick agrees to a 3-year deal.
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres today announced the team has signed defenseman Rasmus Dahlin to a 3-year, entry-level contract.
Dahlin (18, 6-foot-3, 185 lbs.) was taken by Buffalo with the first overall selection in the 2018 NHL Draft last month in Dallas. He became just the third player to be taken No. 1 overall by the Sabres, joining Gilbert Perreault (1970) and Pierre Turgeon (1987).
The defenseman appeared in his second professional season in 2017-18, posting 20 points (7+13) and tying for fourth among all SHL defensemen with seven goals in 41 games. Through two SHL seasons, he has totaled 23 points (8+15) in 67 regular-season games, adding eight points (4+4) in 20 postseason contests.
A native of Lidköping, Sweden, Dahlin won a silver medal at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo. His 6 points (0+6), plus-7 rating and 23:08 average ice time at the tournament all led or tied to lead his team, helping him earn Best Defenseman honors and a spot on the tournament All-Star Team.
Dahlin also represented Sweden at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship as a 16-year-old and, at 17, was the youngest player at the 2018 Olympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.