BUFFALO, N.Y. — It’s easy to think you’ve seen this before. After all, when the Sabres take the ice Thursday for the season opener, 75 percent of the players will be the same as last season. And last season didn’t go well.



But Rasmus Dahlin sees something different.



“We’ve got a new coaching staff, new players,” the Buffalo defenseman said Tuesday. “It will be fun to see what we can do this season.”



The 19-year-old seemed genuinely enthused. As he expanded on the new coaching staff, he raved about Ralph Krueger’s knowledge, confidence and on-ice structure.



Dahlin caught himself when he said “structure” and wanted to clarify.



“We’re playing not structure but principles,” he said. “We have our rules, but other than that, we create in our own minds and use our head to create things out there. We’re a skilled team. We’re young players. We...