The Sabres went on a second-half surge to win the Atlantic Division title and then beat the Boston Bruins in the first round, a successful return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2011.
Now, Buffalo has a 1-0 lead against the Montreal Canadiens in the best-of-7 Eastern Conference Second Round after winning 4-2 in Game 1 on Wednesday.
Game 2 is at KeyBank Center on Friday (7 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, TNT, SN, TVAS, CBC).
It hasn't always been easy for Dahlin.
The goals and assists came regularly, but the wins were much harder to find. There were disappointments and frustrations. Playoff hockey remained elusive.
Even this season, the hardships took center stage.
Dahlin's fiancée, Carolina Matovac, spent several weeks on life support after experiencing heart failure. She received a heart transplant that required months of hospitalization and rehab. Matovac later revealed she had lost the couple's unborn child.
Dahlin took a leave of absence for a week in November.
When he returned, it gave the Sabres the jolt they needed. And Dahlin played some of his best hockey.
The 26-year-old had a career-high 74 points (19 goals, 55 assists). His 52 even-strength points set a franchise record for defensemen. He played for Sweden at the 2026 Winter Olympics. He was named as a finalist for the Masterton Trophy awarded for perseverance and dedication to hockey earlier this week.
"It's kind of funny how it works," Dahlin said. "You grow, you get older and kind of understand that things outside hockey are more important than actual hockey. I think that made me more relaxed coming to the rink, doing the work in peace, if that makes sense. Knowing hockey's just a game; I kind of had to understand that to take it to the next level."
It's that maturity that led coach Lindy Ruff to name Dahlin captain last season. And while Dahlin says there are plenty of leaders and Type-A figures in the dressing room, there is no denying that the fingerprints of the soft-spoken Swede are all over the Sabres' culture.
"He's leading by example, playing the game the right way, being that guy is the captain for every guy in the room," Ruff said. "I feel the best captains are the captains that are the captain for everybody. Not just the guys that are struggling or your friend or your countrymen; it's the captain for everybody, and I just feel that's he's a guy that cares for everybody.
"He's not just a captain for his fellow defensemen; he there's for everyone, and I feel that's the most important thing, first and foremost, you lead by example, then you can be vocal. But part of that is to be there for everyone."
Goalie Alex Lyon arrived as a free agent this season. He's been everywhere in hockey. He's seen a lot of players, a lot of leaders. Still Dahlin made an immediate impression.
"Obviously knew playing against him and kind of his pedigree," Lyon said. "You get into practice with him, get in the room with him, and it just blows you away at how talented some of those guys are. So, massive credit to him. He works extremely hard and has a great mindset."
Players across the League have taken notice.
Dahlin played 21:04 against the Canadiens in Game 1, drawing the toughest assignments. He played hard, he played with an edge, he played near flawless. For the playoffs, he has averaged 23:44 per game. He has four points (one goal, three assists) and is plus-4 in his first seven postseason games.
"I just appreciate the complete well-round D-man, you know?" Montreal defenseman Noah Dobson said. "He does it on both ends of the rink. Obviously, offensively, he is super gifted, but if you watch him defend, he plays hard, he plays physical. He's one of the top D-men in the League and he is having a great year."
A year that has brought unbelievable hardship and triumphs for Dahlin and the Sabres. It's a year that saw the Sabres' core reach the goal of making the playoffs finally, ending the drought before it became more of an albatross.
Ruff says none of it happens without the steady hand of Dahlin.
"A huge part of our team and the reason why we got to where we got to," Ruff said.
