Sabres agree to terms with Dahlin on 3-year deal worth $18M

The Buffalo Sabres have agreed to terms with restricted free-agent defenseman Rasmus Dahlin on a three-year deal with an average annual value of $6 million, the team announced Wednesday.

The 21-year-old registered 23 points over 56 games last season, and his responsibilities increased under Don Granato. Dahlin averaged 23:26 minutes of ice time toward the end of the campaign following the head coaching switch in March.

The Sabres selected him with the first overall pick in 2018 and will be looking for the blue-liner to make a leap in the coming years. The offensively talented rearguard has registered 18 goals and 89 assists over 197 games.

Dahlin was the final remaining restricted free agent on the Sabres' books this offseason. He'll be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights after this bridge deal expires in 2023-24, according to CapFriendly.

Buffalo now holds $17.6 million in projected cap space.