Was Dahlin dumb?

[woods-racer]

55 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Dahlin needs 3 goals in the last 52 goals to tie his career high. He looks completely different the last 5 or so games, attacking space and using his agility and stickhandling to do some amazing things. His defensive gafs are being limited. 

Curious to see what he looks like after the Olympic break. 

 

That's *ALL* he needed to change. It is a big ALL though because it seemed that those one or two gafs per game lead directly to prime scoring chances going the other way.

 

[Stoner]

Gafs are dumb.

[Pimlach]

I think the defensive gafs come from pressing.   Losing and lots of minutes takes a toll. He is 21 and still learning. 
 

Now that his offensive side is coming back to expectations, it is having a positive impact on his overall game.  
 

He just needs to use those skills to find space and put pucks either on the net, or on a teammates tape.  The team improving around him takes pressure off of him too. 
 

I like seeing him push back.  Yes, he took a cross check penalty yesterday but sometimes you need to put welts on opposing players.  He is pushing back on the cheap ***** that people try on him. 
 

He is listed 6’3”, 207 LBs.  I can see him filling out more and getting stronger at 212 to 215 in years to come.   

Edited December 18, 2021 by Pimlach

[Wyldnwoody44]

6'3 and 207.... Damn, I'm maybe 5'10 and pushing 200. 

If you cross check me, your stick will get lost in a blobby nebulous. 

would love to see Dahlin continue this growth. 

[Cheektorado]

5 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Dahlin needs 3 goals in the last 52 goals to tie his career high. He looks completely different the last 5 or so games, attacking space and using his agility and stickhandling to do some amazing things. His defensive gafs are being limited. 

Curious to see what he looks like after the Olympic break. 

I am puzzled on how many fans have given up on him.  Between being away from home during the Covid and Ralph wanting to ruin his natural game I can give him the benefit of the doubt.  The rest of this season is going to big in his development.

[Zamboni]

1 hour ago, Cheektorado said:

I am puzzled on how many fans have given up on him.  Between being away from home during the Covid and Ralph wanting to ruin his natural game I can give him the benefit of the doubt.  The rest of this season is going to big in his development.

A lot of fans? As in a few vocal people on a little message board? 
I don’t think a lot of fans have given up  on Dahlin at all.

I do think some disgruntled fans are clinging onto the media created koolaid drinking term of “generational” and feel butthurt because he’s not. He’s a developing young player who will get better over the course of a few years and I believe he will be either a “very good player” (at least) or an “elite” player (at most) when he peaks in a few years. Hopefully more and more butthurt fans will let go of the whole “but but but we were promised a generational talent!” moniker the media slapped on the kid. And some fans ate it up yum yum. 

[Digger]

1 hour ago, Zamboni said:

A lot of fans? As in a few vocal people on a little message board? 
I don’t think a lot of fans have given up  on Dahlin at all.

I do think some disgruntled fans are clinging onto the media created koolaid drinking term of “generational” and feel butthurt because he’s not. He’s a developing young player who will get better over the course of a few years and I believe he will be either a “very good player” (at least) or an “elite” player (at most) when he peaks in a few years. Hopefully more and more butthurt fans will let go of the whole “but but but we were promised a generational talent!” moniker the media slapped on the kid. And some fans ate it up yum yum. 

To be fair, the thread title "Is Dahlin Dumb?" is asking for a response and there have been many Sabre fans on this board (a lot of fans?) that are very critical of his play ignoring the good plays and just focusing on the mistakes.  I'm happy with Dahlin as a defenseman so far but I do wish that we could find him a better RD defense partner for him.  He's had some struggles this season but I would say most of our young players have had some struggles.  All first overall picks come with extra pressure to be extra special.  Power will need to deal with that too.  Down the road I hope we will have a very strong defense.  

[inkman]

1 hour ago, Digger said:

To be fair, the thread title "Is Dahlin Dumb?" is asking for a response and there have been many Sabre fans on this board (a lot of fans?) that are very critical of his play ignoring the good plays and just focusing on the mistakes.  I'm happy with Dahlin as a defenseman so far but I do wish that we could find him a better RD defense partner for him.  He's had some struggles this season but I would say most of our young players have had some struggles.  All first overall picks come with extra pressure to be extra special.  Power will need to deal with that too.  Down the road I hope we will have a very strong defense.  

How, on God’s green Earth, can you be happy with his play as a defenseman.  I guess you only watch for offense and zone clearing passes because everything else he does makes me want to vomit.  

[LGR4GM]

No, he's dumb but quite creative and clever

 

[LGR4GM]

So Dahlin is not dumb but clearly had confidence and execution issues at the beginning of the season. Really question is what's his actual level of play gonna be

[dudacek]

20 points in his past 26 games. 

But never mind the points, he’s played tough, smart and assertive and he can move the puck in all 3 zones at an elite level.

I can’t wait until the team catches up to him and everyone can grow to appreciate how good he really is.

[Stoner]

I can't wait until we see this post in December.

[Flashsabre]

Dahlin is not dumb. He was a young, overmatched dman trying to do too much on a bad hockey team with little support. As the talent improves around him he will look smarter.

[inkman]

On 12/18/2021 at 8:32 PM, inkman said:

How, on God’s green Earth, can you be happy with his play as a defenseman.  I guess you only watch for offense and zone clearing passes because everything else he does makes me want to vomit.  

This didn’t age well.  Amazing what 3 months can do for a young man.  Angry Dahlin is a treat to watch. 

[Stoner]

1 hour ago, inkman said:

This didn’t age well.  Amazing what 3 months can do for a young man.  Angry Dahlin is a treat to watch. 

It was fine. The "three months later" angle is what always concerns me. Here we are — again — looking for signs of hope in February/March, thinking it will flow nicely into the fall. It never does.

I'm far too lazy, but I bet there were plenty of "Dahlin is emerging" posts 1/2/3 years ago about this time.

As Rick once said, "See you in September!"

[That Aud Smell]

His development trajectory has not been linear -- bit of a Paula Abdul progression, if you will.

But I'm convinced: He's good (i.e., good top-4). Probably going to be really good (i.e., good top pairing guy). And that goes for a playoff calibre team as well.

[inkman]

30 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

His development trajectory has not been linear -- bit of a Paula Abdul progression, if you will.

But I'm convinced: He's good (i.e., good top-4). Probably going to be really good (i.e., good top pairing guy). And that goes for a playoff calibre team as well.

What the heck is a Paula Abdul progression? 

[GASabresIUFAN]

Can someone update the title of this thread?  How about something like "How much more upside does Dahlin have?"

[Sabres Fan in NS]

No.

[That Aud Smell]

6 minutes ago, inkman said:

What the heck is a Paula Abdul progression? 

Ahh, the twilight of Gen X's heyday ... when sexual tension between real life artists and animated non-human (!) characters was a thing.

 

Also, I want to add: I recalled the lyrics as "two steps forward, one step back." So I don't view Dahlin's progress as PaulaAbdulian.

Edited March 3, 2022 by That Aud Smell

[dudacek]

2 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

I can't wait until we see this post in December.

 

8 hours ago, dudacek said:

20 points in his past 26 games. 

But never mind the points, he’s played tough, smart and assertive and he can move the puck in all 3 zones at an elite level.

I can’t wait until the team catches up to him and everyone except @PASabreFancan grow to appreciate how good he really is.

 

[LGR4GM]

55 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

It was fine. The "three months later" angle is what always concerns me. Here we are — again — looking for signs of hope in February/March, thinking it will flow nicely into the fall. It never does.

I'm far too lazy, but I bet there were plenty of "Dahlin is emerging" posts 1/2/3 years ago about this time.

As Rick once said, "See you in September!"

Your issue is that the variable your looking is time during the season

My 2 variables are time in the league and time away from the absolute worst, trash, moronic, chicken little coach in Krueger 

[dudacek]

59 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

It was fine. The "three months later" angle is what always concerns me. Here we are — again — looking for signs of hope in February/March, thinking it will flow nicely into the fall. It never does.

O course it does. It's happening right now with Tage Thompson, who started to become a player after Krueger was fired.

Sam Reinhart in the back half of 2017-18 another notable recent example off the top of my head.

2 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Your issue is that the variable your looking is time during the season

My 2 variables are time in the league and time away from the absolute worst, trash, moronic, chicken little coach in Krueger 

Players taking a jump at/around their 4th season or 23rd birthday give or take a year is so common I can't believe we are even talking about it.

[Flashsabre]

10 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Your issue is that the variable your looking is time during the season

My 2 variables are time in the league and time away from the absolute worst, trash, moronic, chicken little coach in Krueger 

Time away from Krueger and adding more talent around him will lead to huge gains. 

[Stoner]

30 minutes ago, The Ghost of Doohickie said:

No.

I agree. I should not alter the title.

3 minutes ago, dudacek said:

O course it does. It's happening right now with Tage Thompson, who started to become a player after Krueger was fired.

Sam Reinhart in the back half of 2017-18 another notable recent example off the top of my head.

Players taking a jump at/around their 4th season or 23rd birthday give or take a year is so common I can't believe we are even talking about it.

I'll stand corrected as to "never." Team success is another ball of wax, or something.