The Buffalo Sabres remained busy on Wednesday, signing defenseman Mattias Samuelsson to a seven-year contract with an AAV of $4.25 million for the start of the 2023-24 season.
Samuelsson was in the last year of his three-year entry contract worth $925,000. The move comes less than an hour after the club announced a two-year extension for coach Don Granato.
Samuelsson, 22, had 10 assists in 42 games with the Sabres last year, and 12 points in 54 games total. Samuelsson turned pro in 2020 after a two-year run with Western Michigan and won gold with USA at the 2019 World Junior Championship.
Taken 32nd overall in 2018, Samuelsson stands tall at 6-foot-4 and served as Rasmus Dahlin’s defense partner to close the season. He is more of a stay-at-home defender that can throw hits, block shots and eat minutes.
Samuelsson spent a third of the season in the AHL last year, so a long-term deal for a young defender that is only now becoming a full-time NHLer is fascinating. Samuelsson is underrated for his defensive abilities, and that style goes in hand with the most offensive play of Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power.
John Klingberg signed a similar deal with Dallas in 2015 with just one season under his belt, but he had 11 goals and 40 points. They play different styles, but the Sabres view Samuelsson as a key piece of the team’s future. Samuelsson joins Tage Thompson as the only player signed past 2028, with Samuelsson being the only defender signed for 2024-25. Dahlin and Power will be RFAs ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.
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