Confirmed with Link: Mattias Samuelsson Signs 7 year extension ($4.29M AAV)

[Fjordy]

So, this is a little nuts. I definitely read this headline seven times.

I mean, they did it for a guy we're all very high on, but I don't know that I've ever seen a seven year deal offered to a player with less than one NHL season.

I don't know what the odds are that he becomes a steal, or that he becomes dead weight. I just don't.

Marino 4,4M maybe?

 

[brian_griffin]

You. Don't. Sign. Players. To. Long. Term. Deals. After. One. good. NHL. Season.

I like Samuelsson as much as anyone. This is completely and totally unecessary.

Between this and Thompson, Adams is just gambling away cap space and hoping these are good deals in 3 years when he has no reason to. Just unforced errors.

Go look at Toronto with Zaitsev. Or Ottawa with Chabot. You don't go into these long term deals lightly.

Not comparable. Chabot @$8M AAV signing 3 years ago was over 2x the cap-inflated AAV of Samuelsson. Zaitsev was 4 years older, but at slightly more money then, and signed his deal 5 years ago.

Fifty. Four. NHL. Games.

Nobody knows if he's worth a 7 year contract.

Ignoring the intrinsic value others justified, it will definitely be worth it if it means Dahlin will be willing to extend for 8 years...

That's another part of this. Samuelsson is another one of the players talked about in the "captain" mold, and has been a leader wherever he's been. I'd rather sign the alphas in the room that are core pieces at some sort of value. We wanted this organization to be less reactionary, and now we get that and some folks need to complain.

Another one that I'd personally sign long-term right now is Asplund. See if you can lock him up at a reasonable cap hit before he gets more Selke votes this year. Stock on forwards with that kind of defensive acumen is only going up as well.

Lets get a Cozens deal done first before we start to worry about Asplund..

No, sign Asplund first. He's 3 years older. (and...)

I dont see the Sabres signing Asplund to that deal.. The dollar amount is right but the term is not. He'll get a 4 year max.

...Guys like Asplund who play a Craig Ramsay / Bob Gainey / Guy Carbonneau kind of game you don't worry about speed / skill decline. I'm fine with 4 years, but see little to no risk in a longer deal for Asplund.

Genuinely happy smiles.

I’m not sure on that. Their two bottom six guys who they count on and can move up the lineup are ufa after this year. Our system has a lot of forwards….but not a lot of Asplunds and Girgensons

Agreed.

There are a couple trickle down effects from this contract to.

1. I believe they’re going to make Dahlin the highest paid player on the team next offseason on a full 8 year extension. When they sit down with him he’ll already know his partner is locked up for the long haul.

2. Despite his age, this organization has more important pieces that are younger than Samuelsson coming than already ahead of him. Quinn and Peterka see this as they start their NHL journey and know they will be taken care of if they perform. All the guys heading to Rochester see how quickly you can be set if you develop and do it like they’re asking you to. All the guys who went back to their leagues see it and what can happen if you take the path the Sabres are cultivating through their system.

3. Power and Dahlin will both be getting contracts actually, likely next year. Samuelsson being one of their clear top 3 gives them one less variable as they pay those guys a lot for a long time. They’re going to know what their D cornerstones are making for the next long while at this time next year.

Came to post this, but @Ace covered it.


Re: justifying for Samuelsson, the player...

This is one of the most baffling contracts I’ve ever seen. Impossible to justify.

(and)

Look, he’s a nice glue guy. Love him on a rookie deal. But seven years, locking yourself in long term to a guy with limited upside… this is ridiculous.

(hint - it's not about upside, it's about steady play without downside)

Really not sure how I feel about this signing... I absolutely LOVE Sammy's game and what he brings. I wanted them to lock him up eventually but zero goals and played only 54 games worries me... Who gets a $30 mil contract with those stats? Just praying the Sabre's make this contract look like a steal.

(hint, it's not about counting stats)

I was thinking Pesce.

Pesce is a good comparison

to all the above re: why Samuelsson - For us old-timers, the current Sabres just locked up their Bill Hajt v2.0.

A non-flashy, steady guy who will log 20 minutes of even strength against the opponents top lines and bountiful PK minutes, rarely if ever be out of position, whom his goalie, d-partner, and forwards will be glad he's on the ice for every shift, and whose play will be predictable, in a good way. Samuelsson will let Dahlin, Power, & the other D flourish because they in turn won't be asked to be someone they are not.

 

[Grouch]

I dont see the Sabres signing Asplund to that deal.. The dollar amount is right but the term is not. He'll get a 4 year max.

He doesn't get $2.8m per. Girgs is prob the top of what he's worth. IF he re-signs its at a pay cut, prob in the $1.5-$1.8m range. Asplund aint getting more than $2m x 2-3 years.

As for Samuelsson deal, Im split....I think it will age well, but I also think could have been done for 5/6 yrs around $3m per.

 

[TehDoak]

We want players that want to be here. When that happens and if they're good, lock them up.

I don't see any Cody Hodgson or Zaitsev comp here. Oh by the way, his bloodlines should count for something as well.

You don't give out 7 year contracts because you liked your players dad. Sorry. It counts for absolutely nothing.

Daily Faceoff Live: Agent, NHL executive say Mattias Samuelsson contract is among the worst they’ve ever seen

Samuelsson signed a seven-year, $30 million contract despite the fact he’s played only 54 games in the NHL. One agent...

www.dailyfaceoff.com

And then I got a call from a front office executive who said… “This is one of the worst contracts I’ve seen a team give out. What are they doing? Even if they think that Mattias Samuelsson can be a shutdown defenseman in this league, why doesn’t he go out and prove it? How much more is it going to cost them at that point?”

He pointed at the eight-year, $41.6 million deal Erik Cernak signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning. We know what Cernak is, we don’t know what Samuelsson is in the NHL yet.

This is basically my point. There is no reason to rush this contract. The savings are minimal and he doesn't have the resume (yet) to prove he's a NHL d-man. I think he's well on his way and am hopeful. But there is no reason to do this now. Absolutely zero.

 

[boots electric]

Can they combine the two? Cobra Antidote?

that's called antivenom!

 

[joshjull]

 

[MOGlLNY]

You don't give out 7 year contracts because you liked your players dad. Sorry. It counts for absolutely nothing.

Daily Faceoff Live: Agent, NHL executive say Mattias Samuelsson contract is among the worst they’ve ever seen

Samuelsson signed a seven-year, $30 million contract despite the fact he’s played only 54 games in the NHL. One agent...

www.dailyfaceoff.com

This is basically my point. There is no reason to rush this contract. The savings are minimal and he doesn't have the resume (yet) to prove he's a NHL d-man. I think he's well on his way and am hopeful. But there is no reason to do this now. Absolutely zero.

Friedman in a podcast last year also talked about how an NHL GM said that Samuelsson is a massive piece for the Sabres that nobody talks about. I am genuinely baffled even with the fact we can buy this out for NEAR NOTHING if he plummets for some random reason, you hate it.

 

[CaliSabresfan24]

He doesn't get $2.8m per. Girgs is prob the top of what he's worth. IF he re-signs its at a pay cut, prob in the $1.5-$1.8m range. Asplund aint getting more than $2m x 2-3 years.

As for Samuelsson deal, Im split....I think it will age well, but I also think could have been done for 5/6 yrs around $3m per.

If he can prove to be a legit 4C this year 2.8 AAV is not outlandish.

 

[WhereAreTheCookies]

We want players that want to be here. When that happens and if they're good, lock them up.

I don't see any Cody Hodgson or Zaitsev comp here. Oh by the way, his bloodlines should count for something as well.

People who are comparing this to Zaitsev are completely ignoring Zaitsev was given that contract for his offensive production as much as his perceived defensive ability.

Once he got his contract Zaitsev saw his even strength production drop after that rookie year, but he also went from over 165 minutes of PP time that season to around 60 minutes of PP time TOTAL over the next 5 seasons which accounted for 1/3rd of his total points his rookie year. He also spent seasons like last year playing next to Holden and being given far more defensive zone deployments. Not saying Zaitsev is a great Dman, but it's just not a great comparison.

 

[Buffalo Norsemen]

You don't give out 7 year contracts because you liked your players dad. Sorry. It counts for absolutely nothing.

Daily Faceoff Live: Agent, NHL executive say Mattias Samuelsson contract is among the worst they’ve ever seen

Samuelsson signed a seven-year, $30 million contract despite the fact he’s played only 54 games in the NHL. One agent...

www.dailyfaceoff.com

This is basically my point. There is no reason to rush this contract. The savings are minimal and he doesn't have the resume (yet) to prove he's a NHL d-man. I think he's well on his way and am hopeful. But there is no reason to do this now. Absolutely zero.

Marty said today all the executives who texted him loved the deal, go figure. Maybe Seravelli's source is Botterill.

 

[WhereAreTheCookies]

Marty said today all the executives who texted him loved the deal.

Does Marty know how many HFBoard executives hate the deal though?

 

[gallagt01]

Friedman in a podcast last year also talked about how an NHL GM said that Samuelsson is a massive piece for the Sabres that nobody talks about. I am genuinely baffled even with the fact we can buy this out for NEAR NOTHING if he plummets for some random reason, you hate it.

Agreed. There is LITTLE risk in this.

 

[debaser66]

You don't give out 7 year contracts because you liked your players dad. Sorry. It counts for absolutely nothing.

Daily Faceoff Live: Agent, NHL executive say Mattias Samuelsson contract is among the worst they’ve ever seen

Samuelsson signed a seven-year, $30 million contract despite the fact he’s played only 54 games in the NHL. One agent...

www.dailyfaceoff.com

This is basically my point. There is no reason to rush this contract. The savings are minimal and he doesn't have the resume (yet) to prove he's a NHL d-man. I think he's well on his way and am hopeful. But there is no reason to do this now. Absolutely zero.

did that unnamed front office guy who felt inclined to call sound like he had a big head?

 

[Jim Bob]

OK, this may be the perfect GIF for this news.

 

[GOALOFSSON]

You don't give out 7 year contracts because you liked your players dad. Sorry. It counts for absolutely nothing.

Daily Faceoff Live: Agent, NHL executive say Mattias Samuelsson contract is among the worst they’ve ever seen

Samuelsson signed a seven-year, $30 million contract despite the fact he’s played only 54 games in the NHL. One agent...

www.dailyfaceoff.com

This is basically my point. There is no reason to rush this contract. The savings are minimal and he doesn't have the resume (yet) to prove he's a NHL d-man. I think he's well on his way and am hopeful. But there is no reason to do this now. Absolutely zero.

Well he could realistically improve and the cap is going up so the savings may not be all that minimal. With all the players coming up we'll need all the extra cap we can get. More than absolutely zero.

I don't think there is any debate about him being an NHL d-man.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

All this crapping on everything Sabres this off-season has me feeling like this about the main boards...

...basically all my posts in April are going to be like this.

 

[Gras]

If he bombs out, they won't need to buy him out. Some GM that overvalues physical play will trade for him.

So we trade him to Philly for a 1st +

 

[Abraham de Lacy]

When I read the details of the deal I got this ASMR tingling down the backside of my leg.

 

[dasaybz]

You. Don't. Sign. Players. To. Long. Term. Deals. After. One. good. NHL. Season.

I like Samuelsson as much as anyone. This is completely and totally unecessary.

Between this and Thompson, Adams is just gambling away cap space and hoping these are good deals in 3 years when he has no reason to. Just unforced errors.

Go look at Toronto with Zaitsev. Or Ottawa with Chabot. You don't go into these long term deals lightly.

I just don't get this one bit. The Sabres self scout and have a great pulse on the team finally. This guy is being targeted as someone who is already a huge team leader, good on the ice, and likely a cornerstone for a long time. The Sabres are doing something differently than the rest of the league, and trying to reward their home grown guys, and build from within. How in the universe is this and Tage's contracts anything other than building a huge foundation for this team down the road?
We've been a freaking shit hole franchise for the last decade plus, and now we start rewarding guys, and you have a problem with that? Man, Kevyn is trying a different approach that is quite honestly refreshing as hell, and for some reason, you want to do it the old way still? I'm looking at these deals, and honestly, there's not even that much risk in doing so. The greater benefit and reward far far outway the risks. Other guys on the team see this happening, and know that if they perform on and off the ice, they get rewarded too. Times are changing around here, and I'm all about it.

 

[TehDoak]

Friedman in a podcast last year also talked about how an NHL GM said that Samuelsson is a massive piece for the Sabres that nobody talks about. I am genuinely baffled even with the fact we can buy this out for NEAR NOTHING if he plummets for some random reason, you hate it.

For them to buy it out within the window, it'd have to be a Skinner level bad deal first two years on the contract. After that he's over 25 and its a typical NHL buyout.

What's funny is, I do really like Samuelsson. I just see nothing but risk here.

Is it the end of the world he ends up being a bottom pairing NHL d-man making 4.2 M per? No.

The issue is if he ends up being a borderline NHL d-man at 4.2 and we want to spend near the cap later.

But liking the player and liking the upside doesn't change the fact this is a dumb deal.

We don't have enough game tape to show he's a top 4 NHL d-man. We have an extra season before the contract starts in which he can get injured. The rushing to sign him to a 7 year deal is what is mystifying. Barring him finding some offensive gear he hasn't had at any level of hockey, he's isn't going to get some massive deal off his ELC. This isn't a franchise center that you have to keep happy.

it's the same issue with the tage thompson contract. It's taking on risk and term when you don't have to.

IMHO, there are two cases where you should extend before the contract is over:

Pending UFA you want to keep long term. That should be sorted the offseason before the avoid drama and distraction. Get it done or move them along.

Franchise level RFA. That is a core building block, a elite level d-man, a franchise level NHL center.

With Thompson, you could make the arguement he's a core piece at least even though I think you'd like to see him repeat that production before going long term. There is risk there.

But to give a 7 year deal to a guy with less than 60 NHL games under their belt is ramping up the risk factor for minimal long term gain.

 

[Chainshot]

I just don't get this one bit. The Sabres self scout and have a great pulse on the team finally. This guy is being targeted as someone who is already a huge team leader, good on the ice, and likely a cornerstone for a long time. The Sabres are doing something differently than the rest of the league, and trying to reward their home grown guys, and build from within. How in the universe is this and Tage's contracts anything other than building a huge foundation for this team down the road?
We've been a freaking shit hole franchise for the last decade plus, and now we start rewarding guys, and you have a problem with that? Man, Kevyn is trying a different approach that is quite honestly refreshing as hell, and for some reason, you want to do it the old way still? I'm looking at these deals, and honestly, there's not even that much risk in doing so. The greater benefit and reward far far outway the risks. Other guys on the team see this happening, and know that if they perform on and off the ice, they get rewarded too. Times are changing around here, and I'm all about it.

Matty is one of the guys who drives the vibes bus.

 

[dasaybz]

But to give a 7 year deal to a guy with less than 60 NHL games under their belt is ramping up the risk factor for minimal long term gain.

Minimal long term gain? Are you serious? Do you know what this does for the entire locker room? The feeling knowing that this team wants to pay and reward guys for performance? Man, I bet that entire locker room will have a massive party atmosphere for him during the next practice and just carry over into opening night. You are foolish if you don't think that matters.

 

[Buffalo Norsemen]

Matty is one of the guys who drives the vibes bus.

I won't forget when he drove to Buffalo with a few teammates to root for a another player when they got called up. Anyone rmmber who that was ?

 

[Dingo44]

I won't forget when he drove to Buffalo with a few teammates to root for a another player when they got called up. Anyone rmmber who that was ?

Jack Quinn

 

[MOGlLNY]

But to give a 7 year deal to a guy with less than 60 NHL games under their belt is ramping up the risk factor for minimal long term gain.

If you really truly believe this deal has more risk (which is near none) than upside, there's no way we can have a discussion here. Unbelievable.