The three Swedish stars of the week are back!
NHL.com/sv’s weekly series returns in the 2025-26 season to bring you this week’s three sharpest Swedish players in the NHL. Every Monday during the regular season, we highlight three blue-and-yellow players who excelled a little extra.
In this edition, we start from matches played between 26 January and 1 February.
The Buffalo Sabers have been running like a train during the winter and a big reason for that is spelled Rasmus Dahlin. Last week, the defenseman scored seven points (3+4) in three games, including his first NHL career hat trick – enough for a given first place on NHL.com/sv’s list.
In second place we find another recent hat-trick back: Edmonton Oilers veteran Mattias Ekholm. The defender accounted for four points (3+1) in three games and also recorded the first hat-trick of his career this week.
Third on the list is Los Angeles Kings sharpshooter Adrian Kempe, who poured in six points (3+3) over the week’s four games.
Here are the three Swedish stars of the week, for NHL.com/sv.
FIRST STAR – RASMUS DAHLIN, B, BUFFALO SABERS
The Buffalo Sabers and Rasmus Dahlin are flying high right now. The team has won 20 of their last 25 games (20-4-1) and is in a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
A big reason for the Sabres’ success has been Dahlin’s progress – and the Swede was the crowning glory for his efforts this season when he recorded five points (3+2) in a 7-4 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
– I had a good night there (with the hat trick), Dahlin told NHL.com/sv earlier this week. Evenings like that happen sometimes and then you get a little bounce. But I feel like I’m getting started. I had a slow start but things are getting better and better now at the end, absolutely.
Dahlin followed up the five-point success by recording an assist each in the Sabres’ games against the Los Angeles Kings (4-1 win) and the Montreal Canadiens (2-4 loss).
In total this season, Dahlin has accounted for 44 points (11+33) in 50 games; most of all Swedish backs and eighth most of all backs in the league.
