Is he good? He's played about half an NHL season. I'm all for smart gamble's but.... This just seems really early

Is he a top 4 dman? He's played 20 minutes for 42 NHL games... That's not a lot...

Samuelsson is a pretty decent DFD, kind of hard to tell how good because well it's Buffalo but he should continue to grow into a top 4, maybe eventually fringe top 2 role as a DFD, won't get many points, but he'll keep the puck out of the net

Can anyone say that with confidence? He's played under 3/4 of a season. Plenty of guys have looked good for a bit. Seems super premature.

It definitely is premature but they're paying for future performances and right now, Samuelsson's future performance is looking very good

I get the cap rising and everything... but he's being paid over 100,000 more a season than Devon Toews

Toews got paid at the start of covid. I don't think teams were sure at what the future of the cap was going to be. I know some people though we'd have a flat cap for a while.

Nobody said he spent the whole year with him. That's where he plays right now and that's where he played during the last stretch of games.

" So saying he plays top pair like it's an established thing is extremely misleading" That's literally where he's playing lmao.

Yup. And most of them didn't go so great on the scoreboard, either.

Just seems reaaaallly early. Even if they waited the holiday break and he had 80-100 gp it would make more sense.

Must be related to Zaitsev.

Buffalo is going to sink or swim with their young core and Samuelsson is a part of that core. Given that Buffalo isn't a highly attractive destination for most top end UFA's and even trade targets if they have NTC's (Murray for example). In that aspect this was a smart signing by Adams to lock up the guy they see as Dahlins partner for the next 8 seasons. This also incentivizes Dahlin to extend next off-season knowing he now has his D partner and Coach both extended.

They are barely above the cap floor, and shouldn't be approaching the cap ceiling for at least a few years. If they do start approaching the cap ceiling it would be due to a whole bunch of young players breaking out, and that would be a hell of a good problem to have. If he continues at his level of play they expect it's a great deal, and if he falters to a 3rd pairing level Dman that extra 1.5 million isn't going to be the difference between keeping one of their top players or not.

or they will regret it and he will be the next ZAITSEV

No. He is already one of the highest paid 2nd pairing dman.

He's making 925k right now?

High cost for the short term, but has the potential to be a really good team value.

Yeah. Like I wasn't referring to his new contract and the fact he will be the 71st hight paid dman. Geez man, buy a clue.

Because he won't be the 71st highest paid d man when his contract actually starts? Use your brain.

It's a bad deal. It can become an okay deal. It doesn't change that they would have gotten the same deal next year even if he would have a great 22-23 season... no point of making this deal

Incorrect on the going rate buddy. The cap will be going up by so much that this will look like a bargain for a 2d if he makes it. This deal is still very high risk high reward.

With 4m cap increase announced this deal is great. And the way he is playing...they where not signing him for less than 5 or 6 next year if they wanted 7 years.

This thread is hilarious. Why even comment about a player if you know nothing about them. So many comments about his points or that he's a 3rd pair d man.

A top pair defensive d man making 4.2M for the next 7 years what a steal.

I'm personally not a huge fan of players like this. You have to produce offense to be in the NHL IMO. I think DFD are a dying bread in the NHL for a good reason. He's 22 so he's going to get better, but I still personally don't like this contract.

I completely disagree. Defensive d men play a huge part in great teams. Erik Cernak, Hjalmarsson, Brooks Orpik etc.. You can look at every stanley cup team and they have a guy like him.

He makes life a lot easier for Dahlin who is coincidentally having a norris caliber season.