But even the regret of not attending couldn't overshadow the joy of being drafted, and Davidsson was elated with his destination. He had met with Buffalo twice, and came away impressed with the professionalism of the organization.
If that weren't enough, Davidsson also got to see his older brother, Jonathan, be selected by Columbus in the sixth round after going undrafted in two years prior. The brothers have been linemates at multiple levels in Sweden, including Marcus' rookie year in the SHL last season.
With his brother at his side, Davidsson went through a maturing year with Djurgardens IF. Playing against older men made his game grow from a physical standpoint, and playing as a professional forced him to learn to play more responsibly.
"It was very difficult," he said. "They have their tricks that I wasn't used to. The past season I learned a lot, especially in the physical game."
Davidsson played 45 games and scored nine points (5+4) as a rookie, and he expects more development next season. He describes himself as a two-way center with good skating ability, good hands and good hockey sense.
As for his impression of the Sabres, his initial thoughts have only been reinforced following one day of camp.
"It's very professional," he said. "All the testing and stuff that we have done, it's much more advanced than anything I've done before. All the coaches and teammates, everybody is just so professional. It's so fun to be here."
