We heard from Rasmus Dahlin last week during the virtual “locker cleanout” session with the Buffalo Sabres season coming to an end. He voiced some disappointment on how the season went for this team and plans to improve in the offseason.
During an interview with Johan Rylander of Goteborgs-Posten he opened up a little more about his frustration and how he plans to add weight in the offseason. With some help from a pal in Sweden we translated a few quotes into english from that interview.
Season Disappointment
As you know by now, the Sabres missed out on the final playoff spot in the NHL’s 24-team format for return to play this season by a few points. Dahlin shared his thoughts on that situation saying:
“It’s weird, actually. We had two fewer games played than Montreal and three fewer points. The last game we could play before the corona came was right against Montreal…so it would just as well have been us at that playoff spot.”
He continued on to share how he’s not happy to be sitting home while others head back to North America to resume playing this season:
“That’s what it is – and you can’t do much about it. But now that all my Swedish hockey friends go over, I sit at home like a loser. It hurts and it makes me very frustrated. It’s not fun.”
Later in the interview he touched on the team itself and how they need to find some consistency, but he’s excited about the young group they have.
“It’s not fun to lost, of course…but I’m really glad we’re so many young people. In the future we will be damn good! There are many young and hungry.”
One such player he mentioned specifically was his countryman Victor Olofsson:
“It’s almost as if he fits better on the small ice. He can use his shot from all angles. It was a cruel extra bit that we got in quite suddenly – and he will be very dangerous in PP for many years to come…”
Offseason Plans
Later in the interview he discussed his plans to spend a lot of time in the gym to add some weight and strength to his game. Dahlin said:
“I’ve been hanging out in the gym quite a lot actually. I’m getting thick! I have cooked a lot of food, I think. Chicken wings, haha. Buffalo tells me every year that I have to put on muscle.”
Rylander asked Dahlin if he had concerns about putting too much weight on and as a result it would impact his skating. His ability to join the rush and his agility is one of the strengths of his game. Dahlin didn’t have a lot concern:
“I feel exactly the same! It doesn’t hurt to have any extra muscles, but I will probably stay somewhere where I am now. Now I have almost just focused on strength training and putting on muscle – and I will have time this summer. I can see it positively and see the possibilities instead. I will be able to wear on the ice as well.”
It’s good news for Sabres fans to hear the motivation for Dahlin and we could see some major strides in his third NHL season.
“I will be hungrier than ever when I return! It is not fun to sit here as a loser.”
You can see the full interview from Rylander at the link below:
När @NHL laddar för omstart så blir en besviken @rasmusdahlin00 kvar i Sverige.
Och ökar i vikt.
– Jag kommer att hinna bli Hulken här hemma!https://t.co/VM7zqTd9Vg— Johan Rylander 🇸🇪 (@rylanderjohan) June 1, 2020