Buffalo Sabres · Defense · Shoots L

Mattias Samuelsson

Age 26 · 6'4" · 234 lb · Born in Philadelphia, USA

Cap hit

$4.286M

4.1% of $104M cap

Term

4 yrs

Through 2029-30, then UFA

Clause

None

Surplus value

—

arrives with the trade tools

Confirmed by the public signing announcement · source

2026-27 regular season

Goals

100.0% shooting

Assists

0 primary

Points

1.00 per game

TOI/GP

18:21

PP 0:00 · PK 0:35

xGF%

38.6

5v5, -11.5 vs. last yr

Game Score

+0.44

per game, goals above average

Faceoff %

—

Plus/minus

-2

Blocks 0 · Hits 0

Game log

Last 5 games · NHL API

Game	G	A	SOG	HIT	BLK	TOI	PP	PK	FO	OZS%	GV	TK	+/-	GS
Oct 1 @ CBJ · L 6-3	1	0	1	0	0	18:21	0:00	0:35	—	43	2	0	-2	+0.44
May 18 vs MTL · OTL 3-2	0	1	2	0	2	28:35	0:00	0:22	—	80	1	0	+1	+0.67
May 16 @ MTL · W 8-3	0	1	1	1	1	22:53	0:00	2:12	—	40	0	0	+1	+0.53
May 14 vs MTL · L 6-3	0	1	5	1	3	25:27	0:00	1:23	—	60	1	2	0	+0.38
May 12 @ MTL · W 3-2	1	0	2	6	6	23:47	0:00	7:13	—	20	1	1	0	+0.69

GS = our Game Score, goals above average. FO = faceoffs won-lost. OZS% = share of his 5v5 offensive and defensive zone faceoff starts that were in the offensive zone. GV/TK = giveaways/takeaways.

Advanced metrics

5v5 unless noted · 2025-26 · 1,441 min · percentile vs. NHL defensemen

xGF%50.1%

58th percentile

Relative xGF%-1.6

41st percentile

HDCF%56.7%

83rd percentile

CF%47.3%

31st percentile

Relative CF%-3.1

24th percentile

FF%48.0%

36th percentile

GF%59.7%

90th percentile

CF/6056.4

53rd percentile

CA/6062.7

14th percentile

ixG/600.29

74th percentile

Goals above expected+5.9

96th percentile

IPP37.3%

62nd percentile

PDO103.8

93rd percentile

OZS%41.6%

30th percentile

xGF% is his team's share of 5v5 expected goals while he was on the ice, from our own expected goals model; HDCF% counts only high-danger chances (xG of 0.15 or more). IPP is the share of his team's 5v5 goals while he was on the ice that he scored or assisted on. Relative stats compare him with his team when he was off the ice. Goals above expected and ixG/60 use his own shots at all strengths. PDO and OZS% describe luck and deployment, so their bars are grey.

Play styleSpeedy two-way defender

Trait percentiles vs. NHL defensemen · 2025-26

Samuelsson is an explosive skater who drives play through physicality and north-south speed, making him dangerous on the forecheck. However, his defensive positioning and impact lag behind his other strengths, limiting his ability to lock down assignments.

FastPhysicalPlaymakingLoose in zone

Shooting volume: 51
Playmaking: 65
Zone entries(est.): 44
Forechecking: 73
Physicality: 78
Defensive impact: 27
Puck management: 60
Speed: 92

Where he shoots from

Slot 9% · Mid-range 35% · Perimeter 56%(163 unblocked shots)

Strengths

92nd percentile speed lets him cover ice and join the rush instantly
78th percentile physicality makes him a presence on every shift
73rd percentile forechecking generates turnovers and zone pressure

Watch-outs

27th percentile defensive impact means his positioning doesn't consistently shut down opponents
44th percentile rush chances suggest he's not always creating immediate offensive opportunities

Similar style: Braden Schneider (NYR), Jeremy Lauzon (VGK)

Built from play-by-play, shift data, and NHL EDGE tracking. Zone entries is an estimate (rush chances while he is on the ice) until tracking data is added.

Where his Game Score comes from

2025-26 · 78 GP · goals above average

Season total +5.0 goals, or +0.06 per game.

Even strength offense: +0.6
Even strength defense: -0.5
Power play: -0.1
Penalty kill: -0.4
Finishing: +5.9
Playmaking: +0.1
Penalties: -0.6

Game Score adds up a player's impact in goals compared with an average player given the same ice time: his share of expected goals for and against at even strength, on the power play, and on the penalty kill, plus finishing (goals minus expected goals), primary assists, penalties drawn and taken, and faceoffs. Goalies are measured by goals saved above expected.

By season

Regular season

Season	Team	GP	G	A	P	+/-	SOG	TOI/GP	FO%	GS/GP
2026-27	BUF	1	1	0	1	-2	1	18:21	—	+0.44
2025-26	BUF	78	13	28	41	+41	109	22:50	—	+0.06
2024-25	BUF	62	4	10	14	+3	52	19:18	—	-0.01
2023-24	BUF	41	1	6	7	+4	44	20:30	—	-0.09
2022-23	BUF	55	2	8	10	+14	76	22:11	—	-0.13

Sentiment & chatter

Fans

—

Beat writers

—

Media

—

Fan, beat writer, and media scores, the 14-day trade chatter chart, and the latest mentions appear once sentiment scoring is switched on. Mentions are already being collected.

Age curve

How players at his position age, and where his contract falls on that curve, arrives with the trade tools.

Skating · NHL EDGE

2025-26, as of Oct 2

Top speed: 22.8 mph; 90th pct
20+ mph bursts: 93
Hardest shot: 98.1 mph; 90th pct
Distance: 247.8 mi
OZ time: 39.3%; 15th pct
DZ time: 43.1%