“I have never said I want out of here”: Rasmus Dahlin dismisses trade rumors, reaffirms commitment to the Buffalo Sabres

During a recent media appearance Rasmus Dahlin rejected speculation that he would leave the Buffalo Sabres. During practice time the 24-year-old defenseman answered questions about accusations that he had recently told GM Kevyn Adams he wanted to leave the organization. Since the 2010-11 season Buffalo has failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs making it the longest active playoff drought in the NHL. Through his statement Dahlin denied the report and declared his commitment to the Sabres both now and in the future.


Rasmus Dahlin the Buffalo Sabres captain shared his thoughts with the media on Tuesday about a recent report which claimed that he alerted GM Kevyn Adams he would ask for a trade if Buffalo doesn't improve.
During their conversation with Adams Dahlin expressed his interest in hearing about the Sabres' franchise vision and development methods for improving the team's competitiveness. The defenseman explicitly denied ever considering a move from Buffalo and has shown his continued dedication to the team. As a star defenseman Dahlin stated his dedication to the Sabres' future yet he remains focused on organizational enhancement instead of looking for exit options.
“I have never said I want out of here,” Dahlin said. “I’m not happy (with) where we’re at. I don’t want to lose. We have to get better. I’ve never said I want out of here. I thought that was pretty clear. That bugs me, actually. I get [ticked] off by that. I haven’t even mentioned the word 'leave.' That’s just how it is.”

Buffalo Sabres captain, Dan Dahlin, is averaging 24:22 of ice time in 55 games this season. With 51 points, 11 goals, and 40 assists, Dahlin is in the first season of an eight-year, $88 million contract with the Sabres. He was selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NHL Draft and has a plus-8 rating. The Sabres trail the Columbus Blue Jackets by 14 points for the second wild card.
“If guys don’t want to be here, then you don’t want to be here,” Dahlin said. “You can’t really do anything about it, but I don’t see that in this room. We have a lot of really, really good competitors who want to turn this around. That what gives me the most hope. The guys are willing to do whatever it takes to get better. We have had a lot of discussion lately of what we have to do and how we have to move forward. And we’re definitely not happy where we’re at.”
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The Sabres finished 12th in the Eastern Conference and 22nd in the NHL last season, a drop from their 42-33-7 record in 2022-23 and missed the playoffs by one point. Dahlin's performance was notably lower, with a minus-3 rating in 81 games compared to a career-high 73 points and plus-12 rating in 2022-23.