Dahlin to play first games as a Sabre at Prospects Challenge

If Rasmus Dahlin has any nerves regarding his first NHL training camp, he certainly does a good job of hiding them. With the Prospects Challenge set to begin Friday and camp opening in exactly one week, the defenseman was his usual humble, joyful self when he met with the media on Thursday.
It's the same vibe Rochester Americans coach Chris Taylor, who's leading the Sabres prospects this weekend, got from Dahlin on the ice at practice.
"He just comes to the rink and loves the game," Taylor. "I just think he loves the game. That's what we need, people like that who love the game, want to come out there and practice, get better every day. I'm excited to see him tomorrow."

The Prospects Challenge will mark Dahlin's first chance to face outside competition in a Sabres uniform, beginning with a game against prospects from the New Jersey Devils on Friday. The Sabres will then face prospects from the Boston Bruins on Saturday and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday. All three games will be played at Harborcenter. The games will be broadcast in-market on Sabres.com.
Expectations for Dahlin will be high, as is the case with any No. 1 pick, but he's kept the same approach he had when he was fielding questions about being labeled a "generational talent" in the months leading up to the draft.
"I've got to try as hard as I can, and we'll see how it goes," he said. "I'm going to try my best, that's all I can say."
"... To put on the Buffalo Sabres jersey, it's going to be huge."

Dahlin stopped short of saying he wanted to be a leader this weekend - there are other, more experienced prospects on the roster - but through one day of practice, Taylor said he was already leading by example.
"It's unbelievable," Taylor said. "He jumps in the play, he's heady. Every drill he works at. His passes are always on. He shoots with authority. He shoots to score every time he's out there. He's a different player."

Taylor said the Sabres want to see Dahlin jump into the play on offense as much as possible through these three games, which factored into the decision to place him on a defensive pair with William Borgen. Borgen was named as the National Collegiate Hockey Conference's best defensive defenseman last season and, like Dahlin, was chose to represent his country at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
"We thought that Will would complement him, just a little bit more of a defensive style," Taylor said. "He's a bigger guy, he plays rough. We want Rasmus to be up in the play all the time and show his talent."
Dahlin, Borgen and several other prospects have spent recent weeks participating in informal skates with Sabres veterans. Dahlin said he's already noticed the uptick in intensity that occurs in NHL skates, especially as training camp nears.
He'll be back with the vets come next Thursday. For now, he's looking to enjoy these three games and make the most of his opportunity.
"I mean I have to play good to make the team so yeah, it's been great to play with all those guys," he said. "Just go out there and have fun and don't think about so much things. Just have fun."

Nylander impresses at practice

Alex Nylander was absent from the on-ice portions of development camp this summer due to a minor injury, but Taylor noted at the time how the forward was still making it a point to lead by example off the ice. Taylor said those same qualities stood out when Nylander returned to practice Thursday.
"He's the biggest guy, the maturity level, just passing the puck and how he skates," Taylor said. I thought he did a great job today. He's leading, he's going to the front of the lines now. Before he'd go second, third, maybe last in the lines because he wasn't sure of himself.
"Now I think that maturity level, he wants to be here as well. He's another that wants to stick (in) the NHL. I really like how big and strong he's gotten in his maturity level."

Lines at practice

41 Victor Olofsson - 37 Casey Mittelstadt - 72 Tage Thompson
92 Alex Nylander - 74 Rasmus Asplund - 52 Andrew Oglevie
83 Shane Eiserman - 77 Vasily Glotov - 75 Judd Peterson
73 Matej Pekar - 86 Kevin Hancock - 79 Cole Coskey
76 Pascal Aquin - 78 Myles Powell - 46 Eric Cornel
26 Rasmus Dahlin - 33 William Borgen
45 Brendan Guhle - 67 Arvin Atwal
44 Brandon Hickey - 58 Oskari Laaksonen
24 Lawrence Pilut - 84 Nicholas Welsh
61 Devante Stephens - 70 Tobie Bisson
34 Jonas Johansson
1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen