At 24 years old, Rasmus Dahlin is now one of the best defenders in the National League.
It took a little while to see the 1st overall pick in the 2018 draft establish himself as a true impact player in Buffalo, but the Sabres’ success usually comes through him.
He was not on the ice yesterday at the Bell Center for the game against CH and it showed in the Sabres’ defensive play.
Things are going bad in Buffalo, though: the Sabers have now lost their last 11 games… Which is not ideal for a club that is supposed to be relatively good.
There are good players in this formation, after all.
But to shake things up, maybe Kevyn Adams (GM) will have to make a tough decision in trading some guys.
Mathias Brunet and Martin Lemay (who are friends again) joined in the game by each creating an exchange proposal to bring Dahlin to Montreal.
And in both cases, it’s enough to make you jump:
- 1st choice of CH (not protected), Michael Hage and Cole Caufield OR Kaiden Guhle for Dahlin (Mathias Brunet)
- Lane Hutson and Cole Caufield for Dahlin (Martin Lemay)
It’s a lot:
To acquire a star player, usually you have to be willing to pay top dollar.
The Canadian was lucky in the Patrik Laine trade because the player was in a deplorable situation in Columbus, but you get the idea.
That said, giving a choice that risks being top-10, a sniper established like Caufield or a good young defender like Guhle and a quality prospect like Michael Hage, I find that a lot.
It’s too much in my eyes. Even Martin Lemay’s proposal bothers me… Because Lane Hutson has what it takes to become one of the best offensive defensemen in the National League.
Again, it’s certain that the idea of looking for a defender of the caliber of Rasmus Dahlin is interesting. The Canadian would have his true #1 defender for several years (Dahlin is 24) and that would solve a certain “problem” in Montreal.
But still: I wouldn’t be willing to let that many quality players/pieces go to get just one guy. Dahlin is good – he is excellent, even – but the CH has more weapons by keeping Caufield, Hage, Guhle and even its next first choice in the bank.
In burst
– So much the better.
– Askarov must take his chance.
– Happy holiday!
