Dahlin impresses fans, coach at Sabres development camp

BUFFALO -- Rasmus Dahlin was in awe when he peered into the stands at the Buffalo Sabres practice facility during his first official workout with the team on Wednesday.
The scene exceeded even his own expectations.
About 1,800 fans attended the opening of Sabres development camp, the majority seeking a closer look at Dahlin, who was selected with the No. 1 pick of the 2018 NHL Draft last Friday. About half of them were already in their seats 30 minutes before he stepped onto the ice. A handful wore t-shirts with "Dahlintown" on the front; others were already donning blue-and-gold Sabres jerseys with Dahlin's name and No. 26 stitched on the back.

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A buzz rippled through the building almost every time Dahlin touched the puck. When he scored, the assembled throng erupted in applause.
"There hasn't been a crowd to cheer for me when I score a goal in training, so that was different," Dahlin said. "That was fun."
It's all part of the hero's welcome Dahlin has received in Buffalo.
"For these few days I've been here, everyone is so friendly and they wish all the best for me," he said. "It's been amazing here. I love it. I can't wait to get the season started."
Dahlin's goodwill tour through Buffalo began with a press conference at KeyBank Center on Monday. He also had the chance to participate in a leisurely skate with a handful of other Sabres prospects.
He followed that up by joining Sabres legend Gilbert Perreault for visits to the team's corporate sponsors on Tuesday. Perreault (1970), Pierre Turgeon (1987) and Dahlin are the only players to be picked No. 1 in the draft by the Sabres.
At one point, a fan came up to them and said, "Look: Two number ones."
"He's the No. 1 now," Perreault said, nodding at Dahlin.
Dahlin blushed.
"He's the real No. 1," Dahlin replied, nodding in Perreault's direction.
A day after that exchange, Dahlin gushed about Perreault, a Hall of Fame center.
"He was a great guy, funny guy," Dahlin, 18, said Wednesday. "And of course, a legend. So yeah, that was awesome."

Chris Taylor, coach of Rochester in the American Hockey League, is running Sabres development camp this week. He came away highly impressed by Dahlin's ablility.
"Pretty incredible," Taylor said. "Dynamic. There's a reason he's a first pick overall. It's exciting for Buffalo.
"This time of year, I've never really seen this many people show up for a development camp. I'd look around when a shot went off the bar and in, people were clapping so I knew who shot the puck. It's fun. I think he's more excited than we are."
Asked for his scouting report on the smooth-skating defenseman, Taylor started listing compliments.
"Just how he shifts back and forth from one side to the other side," Taylor said. "He can stop laterally. His stride. His passing is crisp like an NHL player. Receiving passes, you probably see a lot of times pucks bouncing off of people's sticks. It didn't bounce off his stick. He's just one of those guys, you can tell. And his shot, every time he went down, I don't know if he missed one. His composure, his willingness, his love of the game, just everything on the ice.
"He's a special person."
A murmur went through the rink whenever Dahlin produced a moment of brilliance, but it was a familiar sight for forward Victor Olofsson.
Olofsson, picked in the seventh round (No. 181) by the Sabres in the 2014 NHL Draft, was Dahlin's teammate with Frolunda of the Swedish Elite League the past two seasons. He remembers the first time he was wowed by Dahlin's skills.
"To be honest, it was probably the first practice (with Frolunda), when he first practiced with us," Olofsson, 22, said. "He got the puck on the blue line and I was going out towards him, and he just put it between my legs and scores. That was probably the first time I really noticed him."
Olofsson's first impression was Dahlin got lucky. It didn't take long for him to realize it wasn't luck.
"I thought it was a fluke at first," he said. "When he did it again and again, it's not just a fluke. I just feel the skill he has is so special. He's above almost everyone else in skill."
The citizens of "Dahlintown" couldn't agree more.
Photo Credit: Bill Wippert/Buffalo Sabres