Projected No. 1 pick Dahlin a healthy scratch for Sweden's opener

Defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, widely tipped to be taken first overall in the 2018 NHL Draft in June, was a healthy scratch for Sweden's Olympic opener against Norway on Thursday.

Not that his teammates seemed to miss him very much, as Sweden cruised to a 4-0 victory without the highly-touted teenager.

Dahlin, 17, has been the projected No. 1 overall pick all season.

With NHL players not competing in PyeongChang, his involvement was one of the highlights for hockey fans heading into the tournament.

Dahlin has drawn rave reviews from teammates and analysts alike for his play with Frolunda in the Swedish Hockey League, where he racked up six goals and 17 points in 35 games prior to arriving in South Korea.

His next opportunity to make his anticipated Olympic debut will come Friday when the Swedes meet Germany in Group C action.

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