Paul Bissonnette is standing by his report from Tuesday, which suggested that Rasmus Dahlin is reconsidering his future with the Buffalo Sabres—despite both the team and its captain quickly denying the claim. Speaking on The Sheet with Jeff Marek, Bissonnette addressed his earlier remarks from the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast, where he stated that Dahlin had informed Sabres GM Kevyn Adams he would request a trade if the team didn’t show improvement soon.
“I’m just repeating what I heard,” Bissonnette told Marek. “I said ‘apparently.’ Personally, I don’t really care—that’s just where I stand. But you have to consider what’s happening in Buffalo and the caliber of player Dahlin is. He still has seven years left on his contract—do you really think he’s going to tolerate this for much longer?”
In a statement released by the Sabres, Rasmus Dahlin firmly denied the speculation about his future with the team.
“I have never said I want out of here,” Dahlin stated. “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 actually bugs me. It [ticks] me off. I haven’t even mentioned the word ‘leave.’ That’s just how it is.”
While Bissonnette acknowledged the Sabres’ denial, he continued to suggest that frustration is mounting within Buffalo’s locker room.
“There’s got to be a boiling point at some time,” Bissonnette said. “His talents are going to waste right now. He’s a world-class defenseman, and plenty of teams could use a number-one D-man.”
Buffalo remains at the bottom of the Eastern Conference and is on pace to miss the playoffs for the 14th straight season. Meanwhile, Dahlin, in the first year of his eight-year, $88 million contract, has been one of the NHL’s top defensemen, recording 51 points in 55 games.