Fans of the Buffalo Sabres have already experienced a roller coaster of a season with no end in sight. They have had flashes of being a team that could make a playoff push and then playing a stretch of doing the exact opposite.
That is the same for players on the ice. One, however, that has started stronger is defenseman Mattias Samuelsson. Not much was predicted from him at the start of the season. He has become a strong contributor, though.
The 2018 draft pick had provided a spark and steady presence opposite captain Rasmus Dahlin, who recently took a leave of absence for family reasons. He currently has a plus/minus time of plus-3. He is tied with Zach Benson and Zach Metsa in the statistic.
Samuelsson is currently one of seven players for the Sabres in the positive for plus/minus.
Samuelsson's strong play has shown on both ends of the ice.
He currently has 31 blocks on the season. The Sabres need to continue to improve and not allow unnecessary goals in early parts of any number of games. Having defenseman to clear out anything in front of the net is a step in the right direction. He is second on the team in blocks.
But finding a role is not just regulated to the defensive end. Samuelsson has four assists on the season. He ranks second on assists from defenseman behind Dahlin.
Three of the four games he assisted on a Sabres goal, the team earned at least got a point. It proves that when he plays well, the Sabres have a better chance at being on the winning side on the ice.
He currently has six points on the year. All of last year, he had all of 14 points to his campaign. He is well on his way to eclipsing that mark. He also is a third of the way to eclipsing his block total from last season.
As the Sabres continue to try and find their identity, it will be important for individual players to make their mark. Each one will have to decide if they want to be a part of what they are trying to build or once again become another on the long list of players who were traded or moved on from the organization.
Against their rival, the Toronto Maple Leafs, they won on home ice, 5-3. Samuelsson scored twice in the victory. He added four blocks on the evening.
It was the kind of performance that endears a player to a fanbase. It's also a type of performance that could lead to the organization looking at him as a part of their future.