It hasn’t been easy being Mattias Samuelsson.
The 6’4” 229-pound defenseman has dealt with public criticism since he was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the second round in 2018, 32nd overall. Despite being a top prospect with the U.S. National Team Development Program and a solid player for two seasons at Western Michigan, critiques were many.
He wasn’t fast enough, he didn’t score enough, he’s hurt too often…
A guy at his size and physical profile wasn’t drafted to be a point-scoring wonder after all, and when he was drafted by GM Jason Botterill, his physical play was meant to offer a counter to what they were getting out of first-round pick Rasmus Dahlin. But over the years, the roadblocks were there, not to mention the added pressure that came with signing a long-term extension after he played just 54 career games.
Each season there were injuries and those coupled with the team’s struggles, the knives came out and even though they were out for more executives, coaches and other players, there was always room for Samuelsson to get skewered. Things were going so rough for him in Buffalo that he was booed after an announcement highlighting him playing in his 200th career game just last season.
Booed! For a career milestone!
But if there’s a truth in hockey development, however, it’s that defensemen can take time to reach the apex of their performance and even though he’s into his sixth season with the Sabres, Samuelsson’s awakening this season arrived with a blinding light.
Everything has clicked for him this year. He’s kept good health, so he’s stayed in the lineup and with that and a consistent position on a pairing with Dahlin, he’s thriving at both ends of the ice.
“We’ve been playing for a few years now, on and off, and I’ve always known he’s had it,” Dahlin said. “Now it’s just, he got the opportunity and he got some swagger and he’s doing what he can. I’m not surprised.”
A player always has belief in their own game in some way. The belief in their skills, things they can do, and for those who go through struggles, the belief that they could always do it. For Samuelsson, he’s not only had faith in what he can do, but he’s had the backing of his teammates regardless.
He’s already set new career highs in scoring. Goals, assists, points – all of it. He’s blown past his career total in goals coming into this season and very well may double his career point total as well. He had 43 career points before this season and has 34 ahead of their game against Pittsburgh before the Olympic break.
It’s the kind of turnaround that’s almost unheard-of, particularly for a defenseman. You’ll see forwards explode on the scene either by righting their own game or playing alongside elite teammates. And while Samuelsson is paired with an elite player in Dahlin and there’s assuredly an effect from that, how didn’t it happen sooner than this?
When things go right for teams, sometimes offense comes from unexpected places. Who knew that on a defense pairing with Dahlin and Samuelsson that they’d be tied in goals and both chasing double figures with just less than half the season to go.
“Offensively, he doesn’t really get enough credit for how good he is,” Bo Byram said. “He’s smart with the puck, he moves the puck really well. He sees the ice really well and he can shoot the puck. I don’t think his success is any surprise to anybody in the dressing room.
“We see it every day. He’s not just a big, steady Eddie, heavy defender. He can make plays and play the puck. He’s a really good player.”
Samuelsson is second among defensemen in scoring, sure, but he has a team-high plus-29 rating as well. The responsibility of playing well on defense isn’t best shown through that statistic, but he doesn’t take part in the power play, and he gets the most minutes among defensemen on their top 10 in the league penalty kill.
“He’s a big, strong guy,” Tage Thompson said. “He’s been really hard to play against defensively and I think when you’ve got someone with his size and strength and he’s got one of the best sticks I’ve seen defensively, he’s really tough to play against. I mean, I go against him in practice all the time, it’s not fun. I think when he’s doing that, it’s when he’s at his best.”
Still, it’s the goals and the points that are earning him more attention, adulation and appreciation from everyone else beyond the doors of the dressing room.
“I definitely try to emphasize finding pockets in the O-zone to get myself involved,” Samuelsson said. “Like more in a scoring area than if I just stay in the blue line, then if it goes low to high and take a point shot it’s not as dangerous of a chance. I think that’s helped a lot. Getting up in the rush, trying to fill the four man which I think is just an effort thing. Get up in the play, beat your guy up the ice. I think that’s helped a lot.
“I think just playing with some confidence with the puck. You aren’t involved and then you get the puck down low and have the confidence to try and beat a guy and make a play or look to seam the pass. I don’t think I would do that in the past, I would take the safe route.”
John Tortorella used to say when he coached the Tampa Bay Lightning that “safe is death,” but neither Samuelsson nor any of the rest of the Sabres defensemen are playing reckless defensively to create offense. We’ve seen those days in the past under both Phil Housley and Don Granato, but the offensive skills they learned under Granato are combined with the defensive respect Lindy Ruff has drilled into them. More importantly, the forwards are involved in covering for the defense when they jump deep into the offensive zone. Having everyone working together? What a concept.
While the team is the thing, watching Samuelsson become the offensive spark plug out of nowhere from the blue line has created one of the great feel-good stories on a team that has a lot of them to pick from. But call it a surprise and you’ll find out quickly it’s a matter of confidence and talent convening at last.
“He’s been unreal,” Owen Power said. “I think everyone in here knew how good he was all along, so I mean it’s not really a surprise here. You see the way he shoots the puck, there’s no doubt he can score it the way he’s scoring right now. I think everyone knew it was a matter of time and this year it’s been going his way for him.”