Who is the highest paid Sabres player?

The Buffalo Sabres have signed a number of high-quality young players to long-term contracts in recent seasons, from star scorer Tage Thompson to 2021 first-round pick Owen Power. Buffalo has also extended solid players like Dylan Cozens and Mattias Samuelsson to lucrative deals, and players like Alex Tuch are sure to get their paychecks on time.

But none of the aforementioned players are the highest-paid players in the Blue and Gold, as that honor goes to Rasmus Dahlin, who has a salary cap hit of $11 million. And it’s well-deserved, as the 2018 first overall pick has been a fixture in the franchise since he was drafted, something few NHL players can claim.

While he has yet to lead the Sabres to the playoffs, Dahlin has been one of the few bright spots throughout the franchise’s darkest stretch, which saw them go 13 seasons without a playoff spot. To be fair, Dahlin has only been around for six of those 13 years, and the Sabres have been playing more respectable hockey since he made his first NHL All-Star appearance in 2022.

Dahlin could be said to have had a breakout season in 2021-22, when he scored 50 points and scored double-digits for the first time in his career. But no one saw the 73-point season in 2022-23, when he scored a goal in five straight games, if you recall. His consistency that year earned him an eighth-place finish in Norris voting, and if he had been 100 percent all season, there’s a good chance Dahlin would have been in the top five.

Last season, he missed just one game and, while his production dropped to just 59 points, he still set a career high after scoring 20 goals. Dahlin also established himself as the Sabres’ most versatile player, as he was remarkable more than when his team had the puck. He recorded a sensational 154 blocks, 195 hits and 42 steals, so it’s safe to say his defensive play is still better than when the Blue and Gold have the puck.

Now that Dahlin is entering his season at just 24, we have to ask ourselves, “What does he have planned for Sabres fans next?” Under new head coach Lindy Ruff, expect Dahlin to potentially top 70 points again while simultaneously recording his first 200-plus hit season as the Sabres take a more aggressive approach to their game.

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)