It wouldn't have been surprising if Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin was in the running for the Norris Trophy as the halfway mark of the 2025-26 NHL season approached. The fact Mattias Samuelsson is in that discussion instead is downright shocking.
Samuelsson entered the campaign as one of Buffalo's most criticized players, and rightfully so. He struggled so much last season that his average ice time dropped below 20 minutes, which led to conversations within the fanbase about whether the front office should buy out the remainder of his contract, and he's long battled injury issues.
To the credit of former general manager Kevyn Adams, he pushed aside that talk and retained the 25-year-old defenseman, who's responded with a breakout season. He's already posted career-high totals in goals (six) and assists (12) in just 35 games while also playing a critical role defensively.
His all-around impact puts Samuelsson among the NHL's elite based on Evolving Hockey's GAR (Goals Above Replacement) metric (via Sabremetrix):
Looking into this pic.twitter.com/2kbaQ7cb8h
— Sabremetrix📊 (@Sabremetrix) December 28, 2025
The Philadelphia native stepped up again in Saturday's 4-1 win over the Boston Bruins, the Sabres' eighth straight victory. He scored a goal, dished out two assists and played nearly 25 minutes as head coach Lindy Ruff filled the void left by Dahlin's absence as he returned from Sweden.
"From what he's done chipping in offensively and the work he's done on the PK, and then playing against every top line and big minutes every night, he's really playing a good brand of hockey for us," Ruff told reporters.
Forward Peyton Krebs added: "He's been one of our best players every single night."
Samuelsson likely won't win the Norris Trophy because his point total won't be able to remain within striking distance of the game's top defensemen, but there's no doubt his impact at both ends of the ice puts him in rare air so far this season.
The Blue and Gold, who've moved into a tie for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, hope that long-awaited breakthrough continues for the second half of the campaign.
Meanwhile, let's jump into the latest edition of our Sabres player grades series as Buffalo rides its longest winning streak since 2018.
Mattias Samuelsson, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen lead charge in Buffalo Sabres' Dec. 27 win over the Boston Bruins
Sabres player grades
Player | Grade (1-10) |
|---|---|
Mattias Samuelsson | 9.5 |
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | 9 |
Tage Thompson | 8.5 |
Peyton Krebs | 8.5 |
Owen Power | 8 |
Jack Quinn | 8 |
Josh Norris | 7.5 |
Michael Kesselring | 7 |
Ryan McLeod | 7 |
Alex Tuch | 6.5 |
Bowen Byram | 6.5 |
Josh Doan | 6 |
Noah Ostlund | 6 |
Zach Benson | 5.5 |
Beck Malenstyn | 4.5 |
Jordan Greenway | 4 |
Jacob Bryson | 3.5 |
Josh Dunne | 3.5 |
Zach Metsa | 2.5 |
Buffalo Player of the Game: Mattias Samuelsson
Along with his three points, Samuelsson finished the dismantling of the Bruins with six hits, two blocked shots and a plus-three rating. He filled the role vacated by Dahlin to near perfection, a statement that would have been impossible to believe a couple months ago.
The 6-foot-4 defenseman is playing with confidence Sabres fans hadn't witnessed from him throughout the first five seasons. He's become far more aggressive in the offensive zone, an improvement that hasn't come without the loss of his typically solid defensive impacts.
It's created a situation where Buffalo, under new general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, may be able to use one of its other high-profile, left-shot blueliners (namely Owen Power or Bowen Byram) to seek out a top-six forward upgrade ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline in March.
Of course, the biggest question is whether Samuelsson can stay healthy and keep performing like one of the best defensemen in the league. That jump in performance is one of the main reasons the Blue and Gold are back in the playoff conversation.
You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who saw that coming.
Sabres quick hits
- Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen put together his second straight strong showing between the pipes. The Bruins scored the first goal and generated eight scoring chances in the first period. UPL kept the Sabres within one until the offense came alive in the second frame.
- The recent strong play of UPL and Alex Lyon likely leaves Colten Ellis, who's still on injured reserve despite returning to practice after entering the NHL's concussion protocol, as the goaltender most likely to lose his spot on the active roster once fully healthy.
- Although Peyton Krebs is heating up amid an extended stretch playing on the top line, keeping him in that crucial role is still not a long-term option for the Sabres.
- The story of Owen Power's season has remained remarkably consistent. Mostly solid underlying numbers but a lack of actual production.
- A better performance from Michael Kesselring suggests he may be finding his stride after a pair of early-season injuries.
- Zach Metsa and Jacob Bryson have been dependable when called upon this season, but it's a weak pairing when they're forced to play together because of injuries.
- Buffalo (19-14-4) starts a three-game road trip Monday night (8 p.m. ET) when it visits the Enterprise Center to take on the St. Louis Blues (15-16-8).