Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin will take a temporary leave of absence from the team and return to Sweden to take care of a personal matter, head coach Lindy Ruff announced Friday.
“I will say this, he said everything is OK,” Ruff said of the defenseman. “He’s got full support by our team.”
Ruff said there’s no timetable for Dahlin’s return to the Sabres.
Per The Athletic, Rasmus is going to be with his fiancee, Carolina Matovac, who continues to recover after a heart transplant following health complications.
The couple shared a letter on Sept. 19 detailing her major heart failure while the pair was vacationing in France in the summer, resulting in her being placed on life support for several weeks.
“I think it’s been incredibly hard. Not easy (for Dahlin to stay focused),” Ruff said.
“I fully understand what this young man is going through. I don’t think you can describe it, and I don’t think you can feel what he’s feeling. I’m pretty passionate about the fact that no one would want to walk in his shoes and have to deal with what he dealt with. …. This is larger than hockey.”
Dahlin, 25, has recorded nine points (one goal, eight assists) in 14 games this season.
Signed to an eight-year, $88 million contract, Dahlin has 369 points (84 goals, 285 assists) in 523 career games since being selected by the Sabres with the top overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft.
