In recent weeks, we had received word that a deal between the Buffalo Sabres and 2018 1st overall pick Rasmus Dahlin might be close. In the report, it was suggested that his AAV could fall in the $10.5M range. However, here we are, well after the fact, and no contract has been signed. According to the most recent report on the subject, Dahlin is not happy about it.
Andrew Peters, former NHLer and co-host of the After The Whistle podcast, reported on Thursday that Dahlin and the Sabres remain far apart on term and that Dahlin is bothered by the situation. Peters revealed that Dahlin is believed to be pushing for a deal in the 5-year range, while the team prefers to lock him up for 8 seasons.
Obviously, it's tough not to look at the Auston Matthews situation in Toronto and attribute a lot of this to Matthews' trend-breaking 4-year deal. Typically, teams like to get their superstars locked up for 8 years if they're committing big dollars to the player. However, the Leafs and Matthews have gone 5 years and 4 years in back-to-back deals. With Dahlin being a superstar in his own right, perhaps he likes the idea of signing shorter term now in an attempt to maximize his career earnings.
Dahlin set a new career high in goals, assists and points this past season, racking up 15 goals, 58 assists and 73 points in 78 games. He also racked up 92 penalty minutes and was a plus-12 on a non-playoff team.
With Dahlin reportedly not responding well to Buffalo's push for a max-term deal, it's really anyone's guess whether both sides can come to terms before the season begins or not. Dahlin still has one year remaining on his current deal, which carries a $6M cap hit. He'll be a restricted free agent next summer if no agreement can be reached and he will have both arbitration rights and the ability to sign an offer sheet. This one is a situation to keep an eye on.
