What do you expect from: #23 Mattias Samuelsson?

[dudacek]

An American despite the name, Mattias is the son of long-time NHLer Kjell Samuelsson. The Sabres picked him with the 1st pick of the 2nd round in 2018, 32nd overall as a big, stay-at-home shutdown bookend to their flashy first pick Rasmus Dahlin.

Samuelsson has been a darling of USA Hockey, serving as the go-to tough-matchup defenceman for his cohort and captain of both the U18 and U20 world championships squads.

https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=196144

Standing 6'4" and weighing in at nearly 230 pounds, he made a smooth jump from college to Rochester last year, easily stepping into their top 4 and scoring at over a 40-point pace. He finished the year as a regular in Buffalo.

What do you expect from Samuelsson this season?

[Pimlach]

He should start the season in Rochester and if he shows he is dominant at the AHL  level then he gets called up for a look.  

[nfreeman]

I really wanna say that he’ll make the team out of camp and blossom into a leadership role over the next couple of seasons, but the stupid injury IMHO makes it much more likely that he starts the season in Rochester.  I do see him as a core guy in the not too distant future.  

[Sabres Fan in NS]

I think he will make the team and will start in a sheltered bottom 6 role.

I can see him becoming the #4 on the second pairing with a veteran like Miller.

[Weave]

20 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

I really wanna say that he’ll make the team out of camp and blossom into a leadership role over the next couple of seasons, but the stupid injury IMHO makes it much more likely that he starts the season in Rochester.  I do see him as a core guy in the not too distant future.  

This would have been my response.

Missing camp likely means he’ll be an injury call up at some point.  Hopefully he makes the call up permanent.

[Marvin]

Once he gets up here, he's staying.  I love his game.

[GASabresIUFAN]

He is unlikely to make the team out of camp.  KA’s acquisitions of Hagg, Butcher and Pysyk effectively block the prospects at least initially.  However Samuelsson will be an early season callup and secure the job for the rest of the year.

[bob_sauve28]

Injured now, so I think he starts in Rochester and is back on a call up soon. 

[Digger]

I agree that it depends on the extent of his current injury.  If he's able to play in some preseason games then I see him making the team as a bottom pair and then getting opportunities as the season progresses.  This is a great year for him to learn and grow with the big club before Owen Power comes next season.

[dudacek]

I think Samuelsson is another player the organization is more high on than the fans are. (Although I am happy to see fan support growing).

I think the brass entered camp hoping he was going to make the big team and was prepared to give him every opportunity to do so.

I agree that his injury complicates things and may mean he starts in Rochester.

He will be a full-time Sabre this year though, sooner, rather than later.

[mjd1001]

I am hoping he can be a long term 2nd pair guy down the road. With that said, nothing wrong with him starting in Rochester and getting a lot of minutes down there.

[GASabresIUFAN]

I think your missing an option in the poll of an early season call up that sticks with the team. 

[Curt]

Because he is currently injured, he starts in the AHL when he comes back.  Gets back to the NHL later in the season and is a quality defenseman for a decade, integral to his team.

[JohnC]

4 hours ago, dudacek said:

I think Samuelsson is another player the organization is more high on than the fans are. (Although I am happy to see fan support growing).

I think the brass entered camp hoping he was going to make the big team and was prepared to give him every opportunity to do so.

I agree that his injury complicates things and may mean he starts in Rochester.

He will be a full-time Sabre this year though, sooner, rather than later.

When you look at our prospects on the blueline and the young players already with the big club it's becoming evident that in a couple to a few years this organization  will have assembled a quality unit. Dallin/Joki/Sameulsson/Power/Johnson/Bryson??/Laaksonen/Pilut??/ are young players that still have plenty of upside. Brick by brick the ramshackle house is being rebuilt.     

[inkman]

 

[inkman]

Mattias Samuelsson on the ice to start the game tonight 

[Weave]

I saw somewhere on the twitterverse that Mule’s return to the ice coincides perfectly with a surge in UPLs performance in net.

Hmmmm….

[Brawndo]

22 minutes ago, Weave said:

I saw somewhere on the twitterverse that Mule’s return to the ice coincides perfectly with a surge in UPLs performance in net.

Hmmmm….

 

[bob_sauve28]

[Flashsabre]

I would really like to see Samuelsson and Dahlin paired up eventually with Dahlin playing the off side. Think he is the type of partner Dahlin needs long term.

[Weave]

I am fully in on the Concept of The Mule.

[LGR4GM]

44 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

I would really like to see Samuelsson and Dahlin paired up eventually with Dahlin playing the off side. Think he is the type of partner Dahlin needs long term.

[Brawndo]

1 hour ago, Flashsabre said:

I would really like to see Samuelsson and Dahlin paired up eventually with Dahlin playing the off side. Think he is the type of partner Dahlin needs long term.

 

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

[dudacek]

I remembering saying in June 2018 that we just drafted our #1 pairing for the next decade.

People told me I was wrong because they both shoot left and the Mule ain't that good, but I'm still hopeful.

[Thorner]

5 hours ago, Flashsabre said:

I would really like to see Samuelsson and Dahlin paired up eventually with Dahlin playing the off side. Think he is the type of partner Dahlin needs long term.

1 minute ago, dudacek said:

I remembering saying in June 2018 that we just drafted our #1 pairing for the next decade.

People told me I was wrong because they both shoot left and the Mule ain't that good, but I'm still hopeful.

I'm surprised they seem to have gone away from Dahlin on the right since it seemed to be working when we saw it a bit earlier