The Sabres did the expected by selecting Rasmus Dahlin with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft on Friday night. The Swedish defenseman was the consensus top prospect in this year’s class for much of the process over the past year, and Buffalo never appeared to consider anyone else once it won the lottery.
Dahlin, a gifted skater and defender, should be able to step into Buffalo’s lineup next season. He’s coming off a very good year in Sweden’s top professional league and at the international level. Even as an 17-year-old, he was one of the top players at the World Junior Championships.
Other players at the top of the draft class include forwards Andrei Svechnikov, Brady Tkachuk and Filip Zadina, and defensemen Quinn Hughes, Evan Bouchard and Noah Dobson. However, Dahlin has been considered the No. 1 prospect by practically every source available on the draft.
The Sabres have struggled in recent seasons, but now boast a talented young core led by Jack Eichel and Dahlin.
