The numbers don’t lie.

No NHL defenseman has logged this type of workload for an extended period of games since Erik Karlsson in 2016.  

Rasmus Dahlin leads the league in average time on ice in 2024, and is tied for second in goals scored by all defensemen.

On Feb. 25, 2024, at home against the Carolina Hurricanes, the Buffalo Sabres’ alternate captain recorded the longest distance skated in a single game by any NHL skater this season, at 4.91 miles, according to NHL EDGE.

But the 23-year-old donning the ‘A’ every game doesn’t hesitate to go the extra mile – or minutes.

“I’ve got to keep it simple. I’ve got to manage my minutes and play for the team,” Dahlin says. “We're here to win.” 

However simple it may be to mentally stay out on the ice, it is nowhere near physically easy to remain as disruptive and aggressive as he is for every single second of those minutes. This is exactly what sets him apart, per his teammates, especially those who are frequently paired with him.

"I have kind of never seen a guy play 30 minutes and play 30 hard minutes like him,” said Sabres defenseman Henri Jokiharju. “He goes and does that every night."

“I think for a guy like him, it's not as hard as it is for other guys who play that much," said Sabres defenseman Owen Power. “I think with him, he just competes so hard. So I think when he's competing and emotional, he gets guys fired up and kind of pushes us to compete harder.”

Dahlin’s work ethic takes some of the standard-setting-responsibility off head coach Don Granato’s plate, whose encouragement to play free turned into a life motto for the young defenseman grinding away.

“He's never not giving you everything he has. He's emptying the tank every shift,” said Granato. “And that's impressive, and that's what the rest of our crew and guys need to see. I think he's a great role model for the entire group of how to play and give everything you have at a very highly competitive level. I mean, he is ultra-competitive, physical and gritty and does it every single shift.”

But it also adds a responsibility, too: To manage the seemingly limitless hunger that Dahlin presents.

“You have concern on the coaching side. How much can you play him?” said Granato. “We watch in between shifts his recovery. Obviously, you know, we're putting him back out there and sometimes he's not fully recovered.”

“He’s a fiery guy, for sure, but I don’t think he lets it affect how he plays,” said Sabres forward Casey Mittelstadt. “I mean you see him the whole game skating around making plays, and making crazy plays and he probably played ... somewhere north of 30 minutes. I mean, impressive. Just impressive.”