Buffalo Sabres: Top 10 prospects entering 2019 season
10. Mattias Samuelsson
Acquired: 2018 second-round pick
Age: 19
Position: Defense
Stats: 35 games, 7 goals, 5 assists, 12 points (Western Michigan, NCAA)
Mattias Samuelsson has the tools to be a decent third-pairing defenseman. There’s not much skill in his game, but he skates well for someone who is 6’4″. Samuelsson had a decent rookie season in college and hopefully, he’ll build on it.
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One thing he must work on is his discipline. Samuelsson averaged over a penalty minute per game last season in his freshman year. He’ll have to continue to improve in that area, especially since he’s a solid penalty killer.
9. Oskari Laaksonen
Acquired: 2017 third-round pick
Age: 20
Position: Defense
Stats: 46 games, 3 goals, 21 assists, 24 points, 4 postseason games, 1 assist (Ilves, Liiga)
Oskari Laaksonen had a breakout season last year. In his first full season in Liiga, Finland’s top professional hockey league, he was one of his team’s best defensemen, leading his team’s blueline with 24 points. Furthermore, Laaksonen led the entire league in points among defensemen under 20 years old.
He’s a mobile defenseman who has nice size at 6’2″. However, Laaksonen is only 165 pounds, so he needs to add some more strength. His speed is merely average, so perhaps strength will help him there too. I like the way Laaksonen plays with confidence and how he hits his teammates right on the stick with his passes.
Laaksonen projects to be at worst a depth defenseman, but I think he’s got enough skill to get a shot in the NHL. He’ll have to gain some strength, though.