The Buffalo Sabres top pairing could comprise Rasmus Dahlin and Mattias Samuelsson, though there are other realistic options.
The Buffalo Sabres top pairing of Rasmus Dahlin and Mattias Samuelsson was one of the NHL’s best up-and-coming units last season. And if everyone stays healthy, you have a remarkable balance here, with the two-way Dahlin and the stay-at-home Samuelsson skating in as excellent complementary pieces.
Therefore, when projecting their respective floors and ceilings, you will see a substantial difference in points production. But don’t let Samuelsson’s numbers fool you, since he proved he helps the Blue and Gold win games more than perhaps anyone else. As with our forwards, these projections are based on the assumption each player appears in at least 75 games unless otherwise noted.
Projecting the Buffalo Sabres top pairing’s scoring output
Mattias Samuelsson
Ceiling: 15 points, 3 goals, 12 assists, 3.5% shooting percentage
Floor: 8 points, 2 goals, 6 assists, 2.5% shooting percentage
Mattias Samuelsson is someone whose goal song we have yet to hear at KeyBank Center, and if he hits his ceiling, we may finally get that opportunity. But even if we don’t, it shouldn’t matter, as Samuelsson is arguably the Sabres most productive blueliner in his own zone, and that’s all we need from him.
If Samuelsson hits his projected floor, it’s simply because he passed the puck elsewhere and another trio of players capped off the sequence. Samuelsson may score no more than 15 points this year, but he will be responsible for plenty of them.
Rasmus Dahlin
Ceiling: 85 points, 26 goals, 59 assists, 8.6% shooting percentage
Floor: 60 points, 15 goals, 45 assists, 6.6% shooting percentage
I basically covered Dahlin’s projected ceiling in a pair of bold prediction pieces that you can check out here and here. For continuity purposes, the ceiling comprises those same exact numbers. Dahlin’s floor is substantially lower than the 73 points he snagged one year ago, but don’t worry, as it doesn’t mean he’s a one-year wonder or already on the backslide.
Instead, Dahlin’s floor is just a product of Owen Power’s two-way game evolving, so naturally, he wouldn’t put up as many points. That is, unless the Buffalo Sabres high-octane ways evolve this season, then anything’s possible.
(Statistics from Hockey-Reference assisted in each respective player’s floor and ceiling)