The Buffalo Sabres and Rasmus Dahlin got a contract extension done

The Buffalo Sabres are trying to become one of the best teams in the NHL’s Eastern Conference. There are a lot of outstanding teams that they will be battling and they think they can compete.

How did Buffalo get to this point? Well, they are not entirely there yet. They have the longest playoff drought in the NHL right now and they want to end it.

They have built a really nice core of players and need them to continue taking big steps year after year. They have had some luck in the lottery and made some great draft decisions.

One of the players that they are building around is Rasmus Dahlin. He was the number one overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. Since then, he has turned into a complete superstar.

The Buffalo Sabres and Rasmus Dahlin have been set up for a long time now.

On Monday morning, it came out that Rasmus Dahlin and the Buffalo Sabres agreed to a contract extension. After a few seasons of proving he was an elite player in the league, it was clear he deserved to be well-paid.

It is an 8-year extension worth 88 million dollars so he is now one of the highest-paid players in the NHL. It will carry an average annual value of $11 million against the salary cap. The best players get paid like the best players and Dahlin is one of those.

The core that the Buffalo Sabres are building is a tremendous one. With Owen Power as another fellow number-one pick on the blue line, they have a ton of forwards that have superstar potential. This group will score a ton so if they can defend halfway decent, they can be a Stanley Cup contender in short order.

Making the playoffs will be the first goal for Buffalo as they have the longest drought in the league. They haven’t made it since 2011 so you know they’ll be fighting this year. The momentum is on their side with the way they played last year.

Of course, this sets a market for young amazing defensemen as well. People will look toward this Dahlin contract when evaluating other players now. If future stars like Owen Power, Luke Hughes, or others are looking for a raise, this may help put a better number on them based on how they compare to Dahlin.

This is a good deal for both sides. Buffalo will retain one of the most dynamic players in the league, especially on defense, while the player will be well compensated and set up for life. May there be many Norris Trophies and opportunities for championships heading his way!