“Don’t look too far ahead.”
By Samantha Pell / The Washington Post
Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin has remained cautious in letting his mind wander to his star-studded future life in the NHL. While the 18-year-old is heralded as the next great blue-line prospect and is the projected No. 1 pick in the upcoming NHL draft, the young Swede has given himself simple instructions: Don’t look too far ahead.
But with the draft less than three weeks away in Dallas on June 22-23, Dahlin soon will be faced with his future as the potentially franchise-changing player for the Buffalo Sabres, who hold the first overall pick. If chosen, Dahlin would be the first Swede taken first in the draft since Mats Sundin was drafted No. 1 overall by the Quebec Nordiques in 1989. Sundin’s jersey hangs in the rafters in Toronto, where he played with the Maple Leafs, after he retired following 18 years in the NHL, recording 564 goals and 785 assists.
“If that happened, of course I would be so excited and happy and glad and all of the emotions,” Dahlin said of being chosen No. 1 overall. “But, yeah, like I said, we have to see. I don’t know yet.”
Dahlin and other top prospects — Evan Bouchard, Noah Dobson, Quinton Hughes, Andrei Svechnikov, Brady Tkachuk and Filip Zadina — traveled to Washington on Monday to attend Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals. It was Dahlin’s first NHL game he has witnessed in person.
Earlier in the day, the prospects met both the Capitals and Vegas Golden Knights, with a “starstruck” Dahlin getting to meet Capitals center and fellow Swede Nicklas Backstrom at Kettler Capitals Iceplex on Monday morning.
“Everything looks so easy when he is out there,” Dahlin said of Backstrom. “So calm with the puck, and he makes some sick passes and is, like, a very sick player.”
Backstrom also had praise for the young superstar, who he said has “everything in his toolbox” and whom it has been “pretty impressive to watch.”
“It was fun meeting him,” Backstrom said. “Seems like a great kid. … It was very nice to meet him, too. There’s been a lot of hype about him. Everyone knows who he is. …
“I think it will be great [if he goes to Buffalo at No. 1]. I think he proved to all the guys, too, that he deserves to go No. 1. It’s going to be great for the city of Buffalo.
Dahlin has impressed with his natural talent over the years. Competing in the 2018 World Junior Championships for Team Sweden, he tallied six assists in seven games as Sweden won silver. He had seven goals and 13 assists in 41 games with Frolunda of the Swedish Elite League.
Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 NHL draft, also offered his advice to Dahlin.
“Just keep working, keep doing what you do, and everything’s going to be okay,” Ovechkin said.
Dahlin got his first taste of his potential new home during the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo over the weekend, where he went through rounds of off-ice testing. While in the city, the young Swede said he went out to dinner and tried buffalo wings. He said he ordered the “medium” sauce but immediately regretted his decision.
“The next time I am going to go with the mild,” Dahlin said with a laugh.
In the time remaining before the draft later this month, Dahlin wants to focus on getting his strength up, gaining weight and looking forward at what he can do to improve his game. And while he has been dubbed the “next great Swede” since he was a teenager, he said he has learned to handle the pressure that surrounds him.
“I said to myself I have to wait to the draft to see what is happening, then, yeah,” Dahlin said. “I said to myself that if I get a chance with any NHL team that I would do it 100 percent.”