Sabres Announce a 7 Year 30 Million Contract Extension for Mattias Samuelsson

[Eleven]

This has to be a league record contract term for a skater with 0 NHL goals, right?

[elijah]

23 minutes ago, Sabres Fan in NS said:

 

I think Cozens will sign a very similar contract to this one.  Maybe as high as 7 and $35M, but more likely 7 at $4.75M AAV. 

Also what I went straight to thinking, but with different numbers. With Cozens I feel there’s too much potential there for his agent to allow him to sign $4.75Mx7yr without getting blasted to the moon. 

Good (hopefully?) for GMKA and the Sabres if that’s what the deal were to come in at, but we’re still talking about a player that many people think is capable of being 2C or even better on the wing? 
 

Now I’m not too well versed on hockey money yet, but wouldn’t that be a historical type of steal if he reached 2C level? My initial thought was it’d be something like 7yr/$40M if GMKA got it done early in similar fashion to these two, but I don’t actually know anything so maybe I’m way off

[Flashsabre]

He is going to be playing top pair minutes long term with Dahlin.

It is hard to get a real read in his game. He is a physical d first type but there is more to his offensive game to unlock. He seems to have good instincts and likes to jump up in the play at times.

He is a glue and culture guy.

I like it a lot.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

3 minutes ago, elijah said:

Also what I went straight to thinking, but with different numbers. With Cozens I feel there’s too much potential there for his agent to allow him to sign $4.75Mx7yr without getting blasted to the moon. 

Good (hopefully?) for GMKA and the Sabres if that’s what the deal were to come in at, but we’re still talking about a player that many people think is capable of being 2C or even better on the wing? 
 

Now I’m not too well versed on hockey money yet, but wouldn’t that be a historical type of steal if he reached 2C level? My initial thought was it’d be something like 7yr/$40M if GMKA got it done early in similar fashion to these two, but I don’t actually know anything so maybe I’m way off

Welcome !!

Since you are named after a Prophet and Messenger of God (not to mention the Patron Saint of Bosna i Hecegovina due to your importance to Muslims (of which I am one), Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians ... second only to Moses in the Hebrew Bible traditions) I will not send you a beer.

There is a reasonable chance that you are closer in your analysis of the next contract for Cozens.  He is liked by management and other players.  He has great potential and works hard.  He is likely to be a key part of this team going forward.

[JustOneParade]

35 minutes ago, Eleven said:

I have the same reaction that I had with the Thompson contract:  Adams can't hit home runs if he doesn't swing for the fences.  Let's just hope he's not swinging at a nasty curve here; Thompson had a larger body of work to evaluate.

I look at this comparison in the context of what our college hoops coach used to say .... "you are going to have an off day shooting but there's no excuse for an off day playing defense". The things Muel has shown are not likely to deteriorate as long as he keeps putting in the work.

[Taro T]

Adams gets it.

Just wish he could give us actual proof he can get a real goalie actually between the pipes during games.  Maybe Comrie will do that for him.  That's the 1 piece that we still don't have any proof of competence (or ideally much better than that).

Am very pleased Samuelsson will be a Sabre for at least the next 8 years.  Love his game & the potential of what he can become.

[RochesterExpat]

As long as he stays a first or second pairing defenseman, this is a good contract. I don't see any reason he can't maintain that level of play. I'm a big fan of Samuelsson so I'll admit my bias.

I also think he's incredibly smart by signing this contract. He's a shot-blocking, physical defenseman. The life expectancy for those players in this league isn't the best because injuries happen. By signing a long-term deal now, he's guaranteeing himself $30m regardless of what happens. If he signed a bridge deal to try and get more money on his next contract, he would be competing for cap space with Dahlin and Power, plus there's no guarantee he's going to stay healthy long-term. It's an unfortunate reality of his role and position.

On a side note, I am feeling much more confident that GMKA has a long-term plan for the team's salary cap and keeping what he sees as the core together. I'm less concerned about a repeat of the 2007 offseason than I was.

[tom webster]

If it’s up to KA, Cozens and Asplund will be signed by Thursday as well

[PromoTheRobot]

16 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Adams gets it.

Just wish he could give us actual proof he can get a real goalie actually between the pipes during games.  Maybe Comrie will do that for him.  That's the 1 piece that we still don't have any proof of competence (or ideally much better than that).

Am very pleased Samuelsson will be a Sabre for at least the next 8 years.  Love his game & the potential of what he can become.

Anderson is competent. He's just old (for the NHL.)

14 minutes ago, tom webster said:

If it’s up to KA, Cozens and Asplund will be signed by Thursday as well

Plus an extension for Captain Kyle.

[Taro T]

Just now, PromoTheRobot said:

Anderson is competent. He's just old (for the NHL.)

Anderson WAS more than competent.  But the person that we have not seen any competence from on the providing actual current NHL starting goaltending front to date is Adams.  Comrie might finally demonstrate that Kevyn can be & is competent in this aspect as well.  But so far, we are still in hopeful mode rather than we have hard data to support the contention that he in fact is competent in this regard.

[Curt]

WOW.

I never would have guessed that this was coming.

Its a little more that I think he has really proven so far, but I have a lot of confidence that he will prove to be worth more than this contract over the next 8 years.  I love the player.

Im excited by this strategy.  I think 5 years from now, looking at the Sabres roster these Thompson and Samuelsson, and any others like them that get signed, contracts will look like bargains and be viewed as reasons why the Sabres, a good playoff team, still have cap flexibility.

[Taro T]

2 minutes ago, Curt said:

WOW.

I never would have guessed that this was coming.

Its a little more that I think he has really proven so far, but I have a lot of confidence that he will prove to be worth more than this contract over the next 8 years.  I love the player.

Im excited by this strategy.  I think 5 years from now, looking at the Sabres roster these Thompson and Samuelsson, and any others like them that get signed, contracts will look like bargains and be viewed as reasons why the Sabres, a good playoff team, still have cap flexibility.

An additional benefit of this contract besides the value it'll be down the road is, when this contract is due to end, another long deal likely won't have 5 years of buyers remorse written in standard at the end of it.  He should still be able to earn what he's paid over the majority of, if not all of, that next deal.

[nfreeman]

So as of today, here are the guys who are signed long-term:

Skinner

TT

Tuch

Mule

...and that is it.  The only other guys who are under contract past next season are Quinn and JJP.

Cozens and Asplund are RFAs after this season, which jibes with @tom webster's post above about KA wanting to get them signed -- although I kinda doubt Asplund will get a long-term deal.

[Taro T]

Just now, nfreeman said:

So as of today, here are the guys who are signed long-term:

Skinner

TT

Tuch

Mule

...and that is it.  The only other guys who are under contract past next season are Quinn and JJP.

Cozens and Asplund are RFAs after this season, which jibes with @tom webster's post above about KA wanting to get them signed -- although I kinda doubt Asplund will get a long-term deal.

Why wouldn't Asplund get a LT deal?

He's their most defensively responsible "young" guy so the team should want him locked up LT and he likely won't turn into a 60 or 70 point player so he & the agent shouldn't have too much fear of leaving millions on the table should they sign LT.

[Curt]

5 minutes ago, Taro T said:

An additional benefit of this contract besides the value it'll be down the road is, when this contract is due to end, another long deal likely won't have 5 years of buyers remorse written in standard at the end of it.  He should still be able to earn what he's paid over the majority of, if not all of, that next deal.

Sure, hypothetically.  Hard to predict what the situation will be 8 years down the road.

[triumph_communes]

Bold move

 

Samuelsson is about as safe if a bet you get tho 

[kas23]

Does this mean his Dad’s grumbling can be ignored now?

[Curt]

1 minute ago, kas23 said:

Does this mean his Dad’s grumbling can be ignored now?

What did Kjell say?

[Taro T]

2 minutes ago, Curt said:

Sure, hypothetically.  Hard to predict what the situation will be 8 years down the road.

Regardless of whether he turns into Mike Ramsey, Mike Weber, or Mike Wilson; at the age he'll be when that next contract is signed both sides should know what he's worth & neither should expect to be cursing the deal when it ends.

BUT, upon further review, maybe a deal could force the Sabres into a year or 2 too many.  Thought he would still be in his late 20's at the end of this one but he'll be 30.  Will stand by the original contention, but it isn't as definite as originally expected.

2 minutes ago, kas23 said:

Does this mean his Dad’s grumbling can be ignored now?

???

[dudacek]

20 minutes ago, Taro T said:

An additional benefit of this contract besides the value it'll be down the road is, when this contract is due to end, another long deal likely won't have 5 years of buyers remorse written in standard at the end of it.  He should still be able to earn what he's paid over the majority of, if not all of, that next deal.

Here’s another long-term thought:

You know Power and Dahlin will likely be pricey. Does this effectively put a drag on salaries for our bottom four over the next few years, then enable us to sign a better 4D in the back half of the deal, because our 3D is relatively cheap?

[Doohickie]

1 hour ago, Eleven said:

I have the same reaction that I had with the Thompson contract:  Adams can't hit home runs if he doesn't swing for the fences.  Let's just hope he's not swinging at a nasty curve here; Thompson had a larger body of work to evaluate.

I know Muel only has 54 games or whatever, but he's always played like a seasoned vet.  My initial view of Power is similar:  Plays like someone with far more experience than he has so far.

This tells me that they really messed up with Dahlin:  the team was so messed up that he just didn't/couldn't shine.

[nfreeman]

28 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Why wouldn't Asplund get a LT deal?

He's their most defensively responsible "young" guy so the team should want him locked up LT and he likely won't turn into a 60 or 70 point player so he & the agent shouldn't have too much fear of leaving millions on the table should they sign LT.

Well YMMV, of course, but I don't think Asplund has enough game to justify a long-term commitment.  I think what he brings is fungible enough, and the Sabres will have enough other guys who will be expensive, that it will be important to hold down the cost of Asplund's 4th-line checking F slot.

[Taro T]

7 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Here’s another long-term thought:

You know Power and Dahlin will likely be pricey. Does this effectively put a drag on salaries for our bottom four over the next few years, then enable us to sign a better 4D in the back half of the deal, because our 3D is relatively cheap?

It IS possible.  And it will mean there's more money for mid level players especially after the cap jumps.  But the cap being artificially depressed the last 2 years & very likely again next year makes predictions of just what the salary structure will look like post cap increase really difficult.  The players that can hold off on signing LT deals for 2 more years will likely be big winners.  But, if most/all the leadership in 2 years are locked into LT deals maybe the mid-tier guys that want to be here are willing to take slightly less to keep from making those earlier signed deals so egregiously out of place.

[Taro T]

5 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

Well YMMV, of course, but I don't think Asplund has enough game to justify a long-term commitment.  I think what he brings is fungible enough, and the Sabres will have enough other guys who will be expensive, that it will be important to hold down the cost of Asplund's 4th-line checking F slot.

To the bolded, absolutely.  And with the cap set to go up significantly in 2 or 3 years, locking him up today at current prices would be a great way to do just that.  IMHO.  

[kas23]

47 minutes ago, Curt said:

What did Kjell say?

 

46 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Regardless of whether he turns into Mike Ramsey, Mike Weber, or Mike Wilson; at the age he'll be when that next contract is signed both sides should know what he's worth & neither should expect to be cursing the deal when it ends.

BUT, upon further review, maybe a deal could force the Sabres into a year or 2 too many.  Thought he would still be in his late 20's at the end of this one but he'll be 30.  Will stand by the original contention, but it isn't as definite as originally expected.

???

Comes from this post a long time ago.  I don't think he actually said anything, but some on here were despairing that he may have. I think this was in the midst of a Sabres low point: