Rasmus Dahlin re-joined the team on Saturday just over one week after taking a personal leave of absence to be with his fiancée, Carolina Matovac, who needed a life-saving heart transplant over the summer.
Dahlin said Matovac is improving.
“She’s an absolute warrior,” Dahlin said. “She grinds every day, and she gets better every day.”
The Sabres are riding a five-game losing streak to sit last in the Eastern Conference with 14 points in 17 games. They face the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.
Dahlin revealed Matovac’s situation in September. He said his fiancée started feeling sick for several days during a vacation in France before her heart failed.
The Swede said she required CPR on “multiple occasions and up to a couple of hours at a time,†and then spent weeks on life support before receiving a new heart.
He added that Matovac was “on the path to a full recovery†and was rehabilitating in Sweden before she could be cleared to travel and join him in Buffalo.
The 25-year-old Dahlin is in his eighth NHL season after being selected first overall by Buffalo in the 2018 draft. The Swede has topped 50 points in each of his past four seasons and was selected to represent his country at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.
Dahlin has nine points in 14 games this season. Ruff said itâ€s been difficult for Dahlin to stay focused during his fiancéeâ€s recovery.
Discover more from 6up.net
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.