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Sabres & NHL 2017-18 - Entry Draft on June 22


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Five Questions with Rasmus Dahlin

BUFFALO -- Rasmus Dahlin said the Buffalo Sabres provided no hint he would be the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NHL Draft during his interview with their representatives at the NHL Scouting Combine on Wednesday.
 
The Sabres hold the No. 1 choice in the draft. The Carolina Hurricanes have the No. 2 pick and the Montreal Canadiens have the No. 3 selection. Dahlin, an 18-year-old defenseman, could be the first Sweden-born player taken No. 1 since forward Mats Sundin by the Quebec Nordiques in 1989.
 
Sabres general manager Jason Botterill was seen walking with Dahlin following their meeting at KeyBank Center, making their way to the ground floor and heading to the locker room area. Dahlin said Sabres coach Phil Housley was not present for the meeting, which was attended by Botterill and several scouts.
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6-1: Jokke Nevalainen from DobberProspects.com with Howard and Jeremy on WGR (10:54)

 

Nevalainen - I've seen Dahlin play about 20 times this season. His skating is excellent, there's no doubting that. But I think his hockey smarts is the biggest thing. He makes the right decisions most of the time, which is impressive for such a young kid. #Sabres

 

Nevalainen - The SHL is a really good league, and Dahlin's been a really good player in that league. Especially for being a defenseman, you don't see that very often. #Sabres

 

Nevalainen - Dahlin has seen some good competition in the SHL, very similar to the AHL, talent-wise.  #Sabres

 

Nevalainen - there's always an adjustment that needs to be made between the SHL and NHL, just depends on the player. I don't see any problems for Dahlin in adjusting. #Sabres

 

Nevalainen - I've seen Pilut a number of times as well in the SHL. He's really good on the powerplay, likes to move the puck up the ice. He can also kill penalties, not perfect defensively, but it's impressive for a 22-year-old like him to be the defenseman of the year. #Sabres

 

Nevalainen - I believe Pilut can make the transition from the SHL to the NHL right away, but I wouldn't be shocked if he started off in the AHL. I believe he will start the season with the #Sabres.

 

Nevalainen - Olofsson was the best goal scorer in the SHL this past year. He has a great release, the puck isn't on his stick that long. #Sabres

 

Nevalainen - Dahlin played big minutes at even strength with Frolunda. He needs to improve on the penalty kill, where he wan't used at all. He still needs to add some muscle, improve on puck battles. But his defensive reads are very good. #Sabres

 

Nevalainen - Rasmus Asplund is a great two-way threat. I think there is a chance he can crack the NHL roster right away, but some development in the AHL would be good for him. #Sabres

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BUFFALO – Roger Rönnberg’s first glimpses of defenseman Rasmus Dahlin are seared in his memory.
Of course, Dahlin’s many talents, particularly his sublime decision making – “He was amazing,” 
 
Rönnberg said – wowed the coach that day about three years ago inside a small rink in Gothenburg, Sweden.
 
But something else Dahlin showcased skating for Sweden’s under-18 team at such a young age convinced Rönnberg he was watching a defenseman destined for great things.
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Dahlin on Buffalo: 'I would love to be here'

While the rest of the hockey world labels him as the consensus top prospect in this year's NHL Draft, Rasmus Dahlin is staying in the moment. But while the defenseman wouldn't go so far as to say he expects to wind up a Buffalo Sabre come June 22, he did say he'd welcome the opportunity.
 
"If I'm coming here, I would love to be here," Dahlin said. "I hear they have great fans and everyone loves hockey here. It seems like Buffalo is a great city."
 
Dahlin has spent the past week in Buffalo for the NHL Scouting Combine, which concludes with fitness testing at HarborCenter on Saturday. His week included a meeting with Sabres brass led by general manger Jason Botterill.
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The 2018 NHL combine wrapped up in Buffalo, N.Y., on Saturday morning as prospects took part in rigorous drills in front of scouts and executives from all 31 teams.
 
Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek and Sam Cosentino broke down all the results and interviewed some of the top prospects, including projected No. 1 pick Rasmus Dahlin.
 
And if you happened to miss it, there’s no need to worry. You can watch the broadcast in its entirety below.
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  • 26CornerBlitz changed the title to Sabres & NHL 2017-18 - Entry Draft on June 22
Nuggets and notes:
- Aside from selecting slam-dunk Rasmus Dahlin at No. 1, what will Jason Botterill do over the next month? The Sabres’ GM is believed to be listening on just about anyone other than Jack Eichel. That’s why Ryan O’Reilly (2), Ramus Ristolainen (16) and even Sam Reinhart (24) are on the board. You would think an all-Europe alliance with Dahlin on the left and Ristolainen on the right would be a nice pair to pencil in for the next decade, but Ristolainen’s name has been out there.
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