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Sabres sign top pick, defenseman Rasmus Dahlin

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Dahlin happy to call Buffalo home (0:52)

Rasmus Dahlin is excited to finally put the Sabres sweater on and expresses his emotions when he heard his name called first in the NHL draft. (0:52)

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have signed top draft pick Rasmus Dahlin to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Buffalo selected the 18-year-old defenseman from Sweden with the first pick in last month's draft.

The signing was announced by the team Monday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The maximum value of an entry-level contract for a No. 1 pick is $11.325 million over three years.

Dahlin is expected to make an immediate jump to the NHL after playing two seasons with Frolunda in the Swedish Hockey League.

The 6-foot-3, 185-pound Dahlin's skating and playmaking abilities have drawn comparisons to elite Swedish defensemen such as Ottawa Senators captain Erik Karlsson and former Detroit Red Wings star Nicklas Lidstrom.

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