Rasmus Asplund is proving in Finland this month that he’s capable of more on offense after enduring a 46-game goal drought with the Buffalo Sabres this season.
Asplund, 24, a winger for the Sabres, leads all skaters at the IIHF World Championship with six goals in six games for Sweden, which is second in Group B behind Finland and plays Latvia on Tuesday.
Asplund has combined with Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin to produce some important goals early in the tournament. Dahlin, 22, has two goals and six points while skating alongside Seattle’s Adam Larsson on the team’s top defense pair. Unsurprisingly, Dahlin has made several remarkable plays with the puck as he uses this international competition to build upon an outstanding fourth NHL season.
Dylan Cozens, meanwhile, has been one of Canada’s top players through six games with three goals and five points. The 21-year-old is playing left wing on the top line centered by Pierre-Luc Dubois of the Winnipeg Jets and the Ottawa Senators’ Drake Batherson at right wing. Canada lost a second consecutive game with a 3-2 setback against Denmark on Monday.
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Sabres coach Don Granato is on the staff for Team USA, which also has winger John Hayden, a pending unrestricted free agent after one season in Buffalo. The United States lost to Czechia 1-0 on Monday while playing with only five defensemen because of injury. Hayden has zero points and four penalty minutes in six games.
All three teams are positioned to make the quarterfinals, which begin Thursday. The semifinal games are scheduled for Saturday, and the medal games will take place Sunday. Tournament games are broadcast on NHL Network.
Sabres defenseman Henri Jokiharju was unable to represent Finland in his hometown of Tampere because he tested positive for Covid-19 following a pre-tournament exhibition game. Jokiharju, 22, won gold for his country at the IIHF World Championship and IIHF World Junior Championship in 2019.
It’s no surprise that Dahlin is having a strong showing overseas. He set career highs this season in goals (13), assists (40), points (53) and average time on ice per game (24:01) while facing the opponent’s top players seemingly every night. Dahlin was also selected the NHL All-Star game and became an alternate captain for the Sabres.
Creating offense must seem simple for Dahlin on the larger ice surface and without the other team hitting him every time he passes the puck.
Asplund, on the other hand, isn’t known for his offensive prowess. He was rated as one of the top defensive forwards in the NHL this season by Evolving-Hockey.com and totaled eight goals with 27 points in 80 games for the Sabres. But Asplund ranked seventh on the team in shot quality at 5-on-5 and scored five goals through Buffalo’s first 17 games.
The goal drought began Nov. 22 and didn’t end until March 27. He was used in more defensive situations, given his ability to limit opponents, but he’s playing in more of an offensive role for Sweden and having success.
Cozens is playing the wing for Canada out of necessity and has looked dominant at times for a team that needs better goaltending. He and Asplund will benefit from gaining confidence at the tournament after experiencing some bad puck luck in the final weeks of the NHL season. Cozens had only two goals in 37 games following the all-star break, but consistently generated scoring chances and took notable steps in his development. He finished with 13 goals and 38 points in 79 games.
Helping hand
The Buffalo Sabres Foundation announced Monday it will donate $100,000 to the Resource Council of WNY, which operates the Buffalo Renaissance Foundation Community Center on East Ferry Street. The donation will support staffing and programming. The foundation said in the announcement that it has raised $1.2 million for the center since 2015.
The Rochester Americans are hosting a community food drive this week at Blue Cross Arena to support the families impacted and others in need stemming from the killing of 10 people at Tops Markets on Jefferson Avenue in Buffalo.
Fans are encouraged to donate unopened, non-perishable food items by dropping them off at collection bins in front of the arena’s box office, which is in the lower atrium. The team is also accepting donations of reusable bags/freezer bags, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, diapers, detergent and other personal care products.
