Makar, Werenski among NHL Network’s top 20 defensemen

Dahlin had his best NHL season while dealing with incredibly difficult off-ice issues. He was sixth among NHL defensemen with 74 points (19 goals, 55 assists) in 77 games, the most points by a Buffalo defenseman since Phil Housley had 81 in 1989-90, and his 52 even-strength points were the most ever by a Sabres defenseman. He was an offensive driver for Buffalo, which controlled 52.0 percent of the 5-on-5 shot attempts when he was on the ice, and the puck was in the offensive zone 45.5 percent of the time he was on the ice, which ranked in the 94th percentile among all players according to NHL EDGE stats. Dahlin was third in Norris Trophy voting, his best finish in his eight NHL seasons, and helped the Sabres end a 14-season playoff drought and win a playoff series for the first time since 2007. He was a difference maker during the postseason, finishing second on the Sabres with 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in 13 games. He accomplished all of this while caring for his fiancée, Carolina Matovac, who was recovering from a heart transplant. His level of dedication and passion for the game made him a finalist for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.