The Buffalo Sabres have announced that captain Rasmus Dahlin is taking a temporary leave of absence from the team.
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Dahlin will be returning to his native Sweden, and there is currently no timeline for his return.
Dahlin Taking a Leave of Absence
Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff spoke with the media earlier today and shared the news.
“Rasmus will be taking a temporary leave of absence to deal with a personal matter back in Sweden. I will say this, he said everything is ok, and through this, he’s got the full support of our team.”
Ruff also emphasized that family comes first, no matter the situation.
“Family and personal come before hockey. Hockey is our job, hockey is our lifeline, but family and personal trump anything that comes before.”
Shortly after the news broke, Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic reported that Dahlin’s fiancée underwent a heart transplant this offseason, which could be the reason behind his leave. He did note that “everything is ok with Dahlin’s fiancée right now.”
Some things are simply more important than hockey. For Dahlin, this is one of those times. While he focuses on what matters most, the Sabres will have to adjust on the ice, likely giving Owen Power an opportunity to take on an even larger role on the top pairing.
Most importantly, thoughts are with Dahlin and his family as he takes the time he needs.
