Rasmus Dahlin had the top skating distance in a single game this season when the Buffalo Sabres defenseman reached 4.91 miles in a 3-2 shootout win against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday.
The 23-year-old surpassed the prior top skating distance mark of the season held by Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov, who skated 4.87 miles in a 4-3 overtime win against the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 21. Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson had the previous best distance this season by a defenseman, going 4.71 miles in a 4-3 shootout loss against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Dec. 13.
Dahlin's distance was the sixth longest among all skaters in three seasons of NHL EDGE data, behind Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (5.40 miles, Dec. 15, 2022), Ottawa Senators defensemen Thomas Chabot (5.19 miles, Dec. 18, 2021), Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (5.16 miles, March 4, 2022), Anaheim Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler (5.14 miles, April 8, 2023), and then-San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson (4.93 miles, Nov. 13, 2022).
Dahlin ranks fourth in the NHL in average time on ice per game (25:40). Among defensemen, he's tied for ninth with 43 points (14 goals, 29 assists) in 57 games, tied for second in goals and is second in shots on goal (176).
Per NHL EDGE stats, Dahlin also is among the League leaders in total skating distance (212.16 miles; 99th percentile) and top shot speed (100.71 miles per hour; 97th percentile) this season. In terms of total skating distance, the only players ahead of Dahlin are Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon (219.98 miles) and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov (212.63 miles).
