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DALLAS — Erik Karlsson is still a Senator and John Tavares is testing the waters. Swedes — not Canadians — made the biggest noise and undersized defencemen were in higher demand than top-end goalies.

From Calgary getting the best of Carolina in a five-player trade to Detroit getting lucky with the No. 6 pick, here are the winners and losers of this past weekend’s NHL Entry Draft.

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WINNERS

Buffalo

For once, Buffalo didn’t have to settle for second-best. The Sabres got the best player in the draft. And they got him in a year where that means something.

Rasmus Dahlin would have been the No. 1 pick a year ago. That’s how highly rated he was. He might not be able to singlehandedly pull Buffalo out of the dumps, but he should help improve a team that allowed the third-fewest goals. And he won’t be alone in that regard. Along with Dahlin and No. 32 pick Mattias Samuelsson, the Sabres used five of their six selections on defencemen.