Buffalo Sabres sign Rasmus Dahlin to 3-year deal worth $18 million; is Canucks’ Quinn Hughes next?

Last season, Dahlin scored 5 goals and 18 assists for 23 points in 56 games this past season. The young defenseman has struggled at times but has produced despite the dysfunction in Buffalo. For his career, he’s registered a total of 107 points in 197 games.

“His way to play was how I learned to play hockey,” Dahlin said of Granato after the season. “But the thing I felt was that he trusted me as a player. He really saw what my potential was, and I felt comfortable playing out there. I wasn’t thinking too much.”

Sabres Press Release

This bridge deal will take Dahlin to RFA status with arbitration rights when it’s over in 2024.

Is Quinn Hughes next?

Elliotte Friedman noted in his recent 32 Thoughts Podcast that both agents for Dahlin and Canucks’ Quinn Hughes could be waiting to see who signs first.

“The rumors on Dahlin have been all over the map. Several months ago, I heard things started very well. Then I heard Buffalo wanted short term not because of anything Dahlin did (or didn’t do), but because of overall frustration and desire not to commit long,” Friedman wrote. “Now the defense market has exploded. It’s possible Dahlin, Hughes and their representatives are watching to see who goes first.”

A similar bridge deal for Hughes makes a lot more sense now.