Buffalo Sabres: 5 more players and their Bills equivalents

While the Buffalo Bills training camp is in full force, the Buffalo Sabres are just weeks away from their own training camp.

So to celebrate Bills camp, I’m doing a four-part series on 20 of the most prominent Buffalo Sabres and their Bills equivalent. You will find Part I linked in the final slide of today’s article, and it goes through five of arguably the most prominent Sabres and their Bills counterparts.

But that doesn’t meant those in today’s slideshow are not interesting. You will find major contributors from both the Bills and Sabres listed below, and why I believe they are comparable to one another. So without further ado, let’s meet these players.

5 more Buffalo Sabres and their Bills equivalents: Player #1 – Jeff Skinner, LW

Buffalo Bills Equivalent: Micah Hyde, S

Jeff Skinner and Micah Hyde have had similar career paths. They both started off with different franchises, with Hyde making a name for himself with the Green Bay Packers while Skinner did the same with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Skinner also played in the 2019 NHL All-Star Game in his first season with the Sabres, while Hyde did the same in 2017, his first year with the Bills. Then, both players went through lean seasons, with Hyde recording just four interceptions, 12 pass deflections, and three tackles for loss between 2018 and 2020.

Skinner scored just 37 points and 21 goals between 2019-20 and 2020-21. However, both Skinner and Hyde enjoyed career resurgences in 2021-22, with the former logging 33 goals and 63 total points. Hyde recorded a career-high five interceptions and he also scored his first defensive touchdown. He also had 10 pass deflections and four tackles for loss, earning Second Team All-Pro honors in the process.

Mattias Samuelsson, D

Buffalo Bills Equivalent: Jordan Poyer, S

Jordan Poyer is a grizzled veteran while the 22-year-old Mattias Samuelsson has seen just 54 games of NHL action. But the two are among the hardest-hitters on the Bills and Buffalo Sabres, which is why I paired them.

Early in his career, Poyer, who earned First Team All-Pro honors last season, was one of the NFL’s best special teams aces. Samuelsson, at just 22, is one of the more consistent hitters in the league, earning 100 last season in just 42 games of action.

Poyer spent most of his early career with the Cleveland Browns before he became a star with the Bills, having never recorded fewer than 93 tackles and four tackles for losses in a single season. He also has 18 interceptions, 10 sacks, and a defensive touchdown to his name as of 2021.

And while I don’t see Samuelsson doing much in the takeaway department, I can see him logging a modest 25-30 points, 100-plus blocks, and 200-plus hits per season. Will he ever receive NHL All-Star honors? I can see  it happening, but like Poyer, it may come later in his career.

Henri Jokiharju, D

Buffalo Bills Equivalent: Matt Milano, MLB

Henri Jokiharju and Matt Milano are both known for their defense. They are also the same type of player that will do the job but their numbers will never pop out an the stat sheet. For the Buffalo Sabres, Jokiharju appeared in 60 games last season, logging 75 hits, 60 blocks, and 12 takeaways. He was good, but not the type of player who will ever earn an honor for his play on the ice.

Milano is in the same boat, having never recorded over 101 combined tackles in a season. He will get the occasional interception (five so far in his career), force a fumble every now and then (two career), and at times, find himself in the backfield (nine career sacks). Milano did have a respectable 15 tackles for loss in 2021, much like Jokiharju averaged a block per game.

Neither of these two players are anything better than above-average, but their presence is missed when injuries keep them out of contests. In the distant future, I can see both Sabres and Bills fans looking fondly at the duo, despite hardly a major accolade to their names.

Casey Mittelstadt, C

Buffalo Bills Equivalent: Zack Moss, RB

And finally, we reach Casey Mittelstadt and his equivalent, Zack Moss. And while Moss has seen just two seasons with the Bills, he is looking more and more like a disappointment. Since 2020, Moss has played in just 26 of a possible 33 games, with 826 rushing yards and 4.0 yards per carry. However, his 96 carries and 345 rushing yards (3.6 YPC), shows he regressed as a running back.

Moss did have 23 receptions and a receiving touchdown last season, but his catch percentage dropped from 77.8 percent to 71.9 percent. Meanwhile, Mittelstadt continues to be an utter disappointment for the Buffalo Sabres, having spent half the season injured.

With just 19 points and six goals in 40 games, Mittelstadt is running out of chances to be an effective player on the Sabres. I do have him starting the season as the second line center, basically because, at this point, there is no one else unless head coach Don Granato decides to bump Peyton Krebs inside and slide the incoming Jack Quinn or J.J. Peterka to second line winger.

Overall, I am not expecting much neither from Mittelstadt nor Moss this season. Look for both of them to be replaced if injuries continue to hinder their respective careers sooner than later.

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference and Pro-Football-Reference)