Buffalo Sabres: Just how valuable is Mattias Samuelsson?
By Sion Fawkes
There was rightfully a lot of concern on Thursday night when the Buffalo Sabres had to scratch Mattias Samuelsson before faceoff against Winnipeg.
The Buffalo Sabres had to play Kale Clague in place of Mattias Samuelsson on Thursday night against the Winnipeg Jets. This concerned both the coaching staff and fans alike, as the Blue and Gold have been a miserable bunch without Samuelsson.
And this isn’t a knock on Clague, who enjoyed a few hot moments pairing with Rasmus Dahlin. At one point in the game, the 24-year-old came up big on a three-on-one. But given the Sabres success with Samuelsson, it’s easy to see why he’s barely replaceable.
Over 48 games, with Samuelsson in the lineup, Buffalo is 22-9-3 (47 points). Samuelsson has also missed ample time with injuries this season, and when not in the lineup, the Sabres are 3-10 (6 points). Entering Thursday’s game they’d won just two games without him.
Mattias Samuelsson is one of the most valuable Buffalo Sabres
When you think of the Buffalo Sabres most valuable players, guys like Rasmus Dahlin, Tage Thompson, and Jeff Skinner pop into your mind. To casual fans, he who scores the most holds the most value, and nothing else.
And okay, that’s true to an extent. Scoring is the most important statistic in hockey, but players need to help set scoring chances in motion. And that’s where Samuelsson comes in. Although he’s played in just 34 games this season, Samuelsson’s second on the team with 62 hits and 57 blocks, behind only Rasmus Dahlin (47 games) in both categories.
Both statistics have led to preventing opponents from finding the net, and they also naturally led to turnovers. He’s also been a key fixture in the defensive zone at even strength, as Sabres goaltenders have a save percentage of 92.3% when he’s on the ice. His +11 also shows that teams find it harder to score when they see him in the game.
Related Story. Sabres: Owen Power in strong contention for Calder Trophy. light
Even more amazing? Samuelsson has yet to play a full season. Before stepping onto the ice this year, he had just 54 games of NHL experience. Like Owen Power, we have to sit back and ask ourselves how good the 22-year-old will be when he hones his skills five years from now.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)
Article Source: Observations: Sabres’ top line puts on a ‘show,’ Eric Comrie stands tall in Winnipeg by Lance Lysowski
Want your voice heard? Join the Sabre Noise team!