Rasmus Dahlin continues to be recognized as one of the game’s brightest young stars.
On Friday, NHL Network ranked the Buffalo Sabres’ captain No. 1 on its Top 25 Players Born This Quarter Century list. Previously, on Aug. 13, the network ranked Dahlin No. 7 on its Top 20 Defensemen Right Now list.
Dahlin, born April 13, 2000, leads all players born since 2000 with 277 career assists and ranks second with 360 career points, narrowly trailing Carolina’s Andrei Svechnikov (364 points). Here’s where he ranks in other categories:
Games played: 509 (1st)
Total TOI: 11,844:52 (1st)
Goals: 83 (11th – 1st among D)
Shot blocks: 637 (4th)
Hits: 771 (5th)
Dahlin has enjoyed one of the most productive starts to an NHL career in any era. He’s one of 10 defensemen in league history – a list including eight Hall of Famers and topped by Bobby Orr, Paul Coffey and Buffalo legend Phil Housley – to accumulate 360 or more points through his age 24 season. And he’s the first blueliner to join that elite company since Brian Leetch in 1992-93.
In 2024-25, his first season as captain, Dahlin recorded 68 points (17+51), owned a plus-20 on-ice goal differential at 5-on-5 and finished sixth in Norris Trophy voting. Now, what does the Sabres’ Swedish superstar have in store at age 25?
He’ll again lead a defense corps that, with Bowen Byram re-signed and Michael Kesselring and Conor Timmins acquired via trade, now figures to be a major strength of the team. Contributions from the offseason additions, coupled with continued excellence from Dahlin, should drive improvement in all three zones come October.
Here’s NHL Network’s full ranking of 21st century-born players:
- Rasmus Dahlin – BUF
- Jack Hughes – NJD
- Tim Stutzle – OTT
- Jake Sanderson – OTT
- Macklin Celebrini – SJS
- Thomas Harley – DAL
- Wyatt Johnston – DAL
- Connor Bedard – CHI
- Adam Fantilli – CBJ
- Matt Boldy – MIN
- Lucas Raymond – DET
- Cole Caufield – MTL
- Logan Cooley – UTA
- Lane Hutson – MTL
- Seth Jarvis – CAR
- Brock Faber – MIN
- Moritz Seider – DET
- Luke Hughes – NJD
- Quinton Byfield – LAK
- Leo Carlsson – ANA
- Dustin Wolf – CGY
- Noah Dobson – MTL
- Matvei Michkov – PHI
- Kirill Marchenko – CBJ
- Matthew Knies – TOR
