According to new reports, the Buffalo Sabres are close to securing a core player of their team, defenceman Rasmus Dahlin.
When officially announced by the Sabres, the contract is expected to eight years and massive $84M, for an annual salary of $10.5M.
Dahlin, still only 23 years old, was selected first overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2018 draft, and has quickly become one of the highest valued defencemen in the National Hockey League. Last season, he took a huge step forward and set a new career-high in goals, assists and points. As a young defenceman with significant offensive upside, his value as a player is terrific.
With gaudy offensive stats like these, it's not out of the question for Dahlin to be a Norris-caliber defender for the foreseeable future, which will fill a big role in helping the Buffalo Sabres reach their first playoff berth since 2011.