Mattias Samuelsson’s breakout season already changed the conversation around him in Buffalo. Now, one former player thinks the Sabres defenseman still has another gear.
The Athletic recently released its Player Tiers for the 2026-27 season, and Samuelsson landed in the Top 150 in the 5C tier. That placement came on the heels of a huge offensive jump last season, when he posted 13 goals and 28 assists. For context, he had totaled just seven goals and 36 assists over the five seasons before that combined.
That kind of spike naturally invites skepticism. But in the article, a former player made it clear they believe Samuelsson’s rise may not be finished.
“I think he could take (another) step up,” a former player said.
That idea matters even more now with Bowen Byram gone. The Sabres traded Byram to the Chicago Blackhawks this summer, leaving a hole on the blue line that has to be filled somehow. On the ice, Olen Zellweger will likely be part of that answer, though it’s hard to expect him to do everything Byram provided last season.
Lindy Ruff has already pointed to other young defenders as players who could keep climbing. Earlier this week, he was upbeat about the progress Owen Power made last season and said he could take another step in his career. Still, if that former player is right, Samuelsson may end up being the one who gives Buffalo the biggest internal boost.
He logged the second-most ice time per game on the team last season, with most of that work coming at 5-on-5 and on the penalty kill. If the Sabres decide to give him a look on the power play next season, that would open another lane for him to build on the offense he showed a year ago.
And if that happens, a 50-point season wouldn’t be out of the question. At this point last year, that would have sounded wild. Now it feels like part of the range.
Samuelsson went from a solid defenseman to a vital piece of Buffalo’s back end in one season. With Byram out of the picture, the Sabres need that leap to keep going - and maybe, just maybe, there’s still more coming.
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