Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – The Buffalo Sabres announced on Wednesday they've inked defenseman Mattias Samuelsson to a seven-year contract extension worth $30 million.
Related
It’s not very often that a player with just 54 NHL games gets a contract like that, but things are changing in the NHL, as younger players are signing longer term deals.
Samuelsson established himself last season as a top-four defenseman, and works very well paired with Rasmus Dahlin. Samuelsson is thankful for the opportunity presented to him in Buffalo.
“I think it shows that the work’s paying off, and I’m extremely grateful for everyone in the organization. I mean, even in Rochester, the coaching staff there,” said Samuelsson following Wednesday's practice.
Samuelsson says the extension is a lot to process, and he doesn’t think he’s fully taken it in yet.
It’s funny, some people think the Sabres should’ve waited, while others think by doing this extension now, it’s a bargain for the team. Some are wondering, why would Samuelsson do it now? He says the decision was easy for him.
“I want to be a part of this for a long time," Samuelsson said. "When they expressed that they were interested for the long-term, it wasn’t too long before something came together. It’s pretty easy when both sides are on the same page.”
So why Buffalo? Why is such a young player so sure that he wants to be with the Sabres for years to come?
“It’s the guys we have in this locker room, and the characters we have and how we approach every day," Samuelsson explained. "It’s just so much fun to come to the rink every day and get better, and now I can just play with the guys in this room and not worry about anything.”
Last season, Samuelsson and Dahlin played together like they had been partners for 10 years.
“It’s a pleasure," Samuelsson said while smiling when talking about Dahlin. "He’s an unbelievable player, so it makes my job a lot easier. I usually just give him the puck, so he’s a great guy and we’re just trying to build on our chemistry.”
You should’ve seen how excited Dahlin was about Samuelsson's contract extension.
“I can’t wait to play with that guy," said Dahlin on Wednesday. "He’s such an amazing player, but also an amazing guy. So I’m very happy he signed long-term here.”
General manager Kevyn Adams is following through on his plan, which is develop your own players and reward them when they’re successful. Dahlin really appreciates that from his general manager.
“It means we can believe what he says, and I think it makes everyone here in the locker room want to push, because we have proof that it works,” Dahlin said.
Sabres head coach Don Granato doesn’t make the decisions on who gets signed, but he certainly seemed glad that Samuelsson was.
“He is the antidote," said Granato following Wednesday's practice. "You think of a star player on the other team, he is the antidote. He is an athletic beast. He has mobility and agility, his size, his strength, and he has a great feel for the game. He closes on people quick, and he was significant in impact when he arrived.”
Related
When it comes to contracts, Adams knows the landscape of things is changing quickly. That’s why a player with very little experience is getting a seven-year extension.
“We’ve wanted to be really disciplined and smart with how we put our roster together, so we can do things like this and make sure we identify the people we’re going to move forward with long-term,” said Adams on Wednesday.
Adams started conversations to see if there was interest on both sides, and Wednesday was the deadline to get it done before this season.
“We do our homework, and we felt this investment was the right thing for us at this time. But it takes both sides,” Adams said.
Of course, these contract extensions won’t end with just Samuelsson and Tage Thompson.
“We’re looking at key players that what it will cost to re-sign them, especially a couple of our defensemen (Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power)," Adams said. "That’s what we’re working towards. We’re trying to make sure that we identify the core, who are the people we’re going to move forward with long-term, who are the players that we believe will help us compete for championships, and let's lock them up and do it the right way.”
This organization has had zero stability since back when Danny Briere and Chris Drury were around. The Sabres' new captain, Kyle Okposo, says he loves what he’s seeing now.
“Stability would be the biggest thing for me, and having gone through a few different regimes, it’s nice to have people that are going to be here and people that are counted on as they continue to build this thing the right way," said Okposo on Wednesday. "It’s been awesome to see [Adams and Granato] rewarded, because they’re both really great people.”
Many players told me on Wednesday that it’s nice to see the young players develop and get rewarded with new contracts that have value for both the team and the player.
The Sabres open their 2022-23 regular season on Thursday night against the Ottawa Senators in Downtown Buffalo.
