Rasmus Dahlin has 'support' of Sabres amid leave of absence

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin has 'support' of organization amid leave of absence

Originally posted on Pro Hockey Rumors | By Ethan Hetu | Last updated Nov 7, 2025 1:43 PM ET

Buffalo Sabres captain and star defenseman Rasmus Dahlin is taking a leave of absence from the team, head coach Lindy Ruff announced Friday. There is currently no timetable on how long Dahlin will be away from the team. The Athletic’s Matthew Fairburn noted that the absence is for Dahlin to return to Sweden, his home country, to be with fiancée, Carolina Matovac.

In September, Dahlin and Matovac jointly announced that Matovac had undergone a heart transplant over the summer following a traumatic health scare while traveling in Europe. In the letter, Dahlin said “this has undoubtedly been the most challenging chapter of our lives” and expressed gratitude for those who supported them at the time.

Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff discusses Rasmus Dahlin's leave of absence

Per The Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington, Ruff told the media that “things are going well” at the moment with Matovac, but also that it was important to let Dahlin step away at this time.

BREAKING: Lindy Ruff just announced a leave of absence for Rasmus Dahlin, who is returning to Sweden to be with fiancé after her heart transplant. Ruff said things are going well with her. No timetable for return. #Sabres
— Mike Harrington (@ByMHarrington) November 7, 2025

"[Dahlin] said everything is OK," Ruff added, per ESPN's Kristen Shilton. "I think it's been incredibly hard. I fully understand what this young man is going through. I don't think you can describe it. I'm very passionate about the fact that no one would want to walk in his shoes and to have dealt with what he has dealt with. He has the support of everybody on this. This is larger than hockey."

Dahlin is one of the Sabres’ most important players, and he has been since he was made the No. 1 overall pick at the 2018 draft by the team. He’s their captain, their number-one defenseman and leading defensive scorer. Taking a moment to consider the hockey implications of this announcement, it appears likely that both Bowen Byram and Owen Power will be leaned on more heavily by Ruff while Dahlin is away.

This article first appeared on Pro Hockey Rumors and was syndicated with permission.

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