Sabres’ Rasmus Dahlin expected to return to lineup Friday against Maple Leafs
Some needed reinforcements are returning to one of the worst teams in the NHL.
Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin was seen taking part in practice on Thursday, and is expected to be in the lineup on Friday night when the Sabres take on the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Rasmus Dahlin is running the Sabres' first power-play unit in practice.
It appears the captain is on track to return to the lineup Friday night.
Dahlin hasn’t played since Dec. 3 as he has been dealing with back spasms. He was eventually placed on injured reserve a couple of days later.
The potential return for the Swedish defenseman could not come at a better time for the Sabres. Dahlin has missed the last seven games, in which the team has lost each contest, five of which coming in regulation. In fact, Buffalo has lost 11 games in a row, including an embarrassing 6-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens in their latest game this past Tuesday. The Sabres have mustered up just three points during this elongated skid.
Despite missing a few games and the team being poor overall, Dahlin has still played like one of the better players on the Sabres roster. The 24-year-old has scored six goals and 13 assists for 19 points in 25 games, placing him second on the team in scoring among blueliners, trailing Owen Power by just one point.
Dahlin is on pace to come close to matching his 59-point point campaign he posted last year, but is far off the trek of equaling his production from the 2022-23 season, which saw the former first-overall pick set career highs in assists (58) and points (73).
Like the Titanic, the Sabres (11-17-4) are at the bottom of the Atlantic, holding the worst record in the Eastern Conference and third-worst in the entire league. As of Thursday, Buffalo is eight points out of the last Wild Card spot in the East.