Sabres' Mattias Samuelsson: Second straight two-point game
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Samuelsson scored a goal and added an assist Thursday in a 5-4 overtime win against Toronto.
Samuelsson's shot from the high slot went over Sergei Bobrovsky's blocker in the second half of the third period to force overtime. The defender has two consecutive two-point games (one goal, three helpers) while Rasmus Dahlin (upper body) has been out. Samuelsson put up a surprising 41 points, including 13 goals, 109 shots and a plus 41 rating in 78 games last season, so the offense is in him. So far this season, he has put up two goals and four assists in eight contests.
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Sabres' Mattias Samuelsson: Two-point night in shootout loss
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Samuelsson pocketed two assists in Tuesday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Canadiens.
The 26-year-old had a hand in tallies by his blue line partner Owen Zellweger in the first and third periods. Samuelsson has taken on a larger workload while Rasmus Dahlin (upper body), Matt Grzelcyk (lower body) and others are sidelined, and he's responded with a goal and four points in seven games to begin the season.
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Sabres' Mattias Samuelsson: Opens scoring in loss
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Samuelsson scored a goal, added four PIM and went minus-2 in Thursday's 6-3 loss to the Blue Jackets.
Samuelsson opened the scoring at 7:21 of the first period. The 26-year-old defenseman was listed on the first pairing but was limited to 18:21 of ice time in his first game back from a lower-body injury sustained during the preseason. The defenseman was a surprise last year with 41 points, 109 shots, 132 hits, 154 blocked shots and a plus-41 rating over 78 regular-season games, all of which were career highs. His place in the top four is secure, but expecting that level of offense again may be asking too much.
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Sabres' Mattias Samuelsson: Could be nearing return
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Head coach Lindy Ruff stated that Samuelsson (lower body) could return to practice Wednesday, per Joe Yerdon of Bleacher Report.
Samuelsson suffered his lower-body injury early in the preseason, but he appears to be ahead of schedule in his recovery, given his initial timetable for return of week-to-week. The 26-year-old blueliner had a breakout season in 2025-26, where he posted 13 goals, 41 points, 109 shots on net, 132 hits and 154 blocked shots across 78 regular-season contests. While he might take a step back in the goal-scoring department in 2026-27, he remains a well-rounded defensemen that is a valuable player to have in category-based fantasy formats. If he can log full practice ahead of his eligible return date from IR, Samuelsson might only miss a handful of games to start the upcoming season.
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Sabres' Mattias Samuelsson: Shifted to IR
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Samuelsson (lower body) was moved to injured reserve by the Sabres on Monday.
Samuelsson should probably be expected to miss the first two games of the season, though it could still be longer. Even with these early injury concerns, the 26-year-old blueliner should be capable of reproducing the 40-plus points he did in 2025-26.
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Sabres' Mattias Samuelsson: Could return earlier than expected
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Head coach Lindy Ruff said Friday that Samuelsson (lower body) could return on the early end of his week-to-week timetable.
Samuelsson suffered a lower-body injury during Tuesday's preseason game against the Blue Jackets and was labeled as week-to-week a day later. However, the 26-year-old told Ruff that he doesn't expect to be sidelined for long, so Samuelsson should be in the mix to return early in the regular season. Samuelsson's status for Thursday's Opening Night matchup remains in question, but it's encouraging that both Ruff and Samuelsson are downplaying the severity of the issue.
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Sabres' Mattias Samuelsson: Deemed week-to-week
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Samuelsson is considered week-to-week due to his lower-body injury, Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 reports Wednesday.
Given his timeline, Samuelsson seems unlikely to be ready to go for Opening Night against the Blue Jackets on Oct. 1. With the blueliner unavailable, Owen Power could see an uptick in power-play opportunities, while Ryan Johnson and Zach Metsa could be in the mix for a spot on the 23-man roster.
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Sabres' Mattias Samuelsson: Opens scoring Tuesday
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Samuelsson scored a goal on two shots and added six hits and six blocked shots in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Canadiens in Game 4.
Samuelsson hasn't matched his scoring levels from early in the regular season, but he's picked up a steady three goals and one assist over 10 playoff outings. The defenseman has added ample physicality with 42 hits and 19 blocked shots. He's firmly in a top-four role, so there will be opportunities for him to offer well-rounded production as long as the Sabres remain in the playoffs.
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Sabres' Mattias Samuelsson: Lights lamp in Game 6
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Samuelsson scored a goal in Friday's 4-1 win over the Bruins in Game 6 of the first-round series.
Samuelsson isn't known for being a scoring-first defenseman, but he found the back of the net twice in Buffalo's first-round series against Boston. He also added 19 hits and eight blocked shots. He hasn't been as productive offensively as he was in the 2025-26 regular season, but he could take on more of a defensive-minded role in the second round of the playoffs against Tampa Bay or Montreal.
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Sabres' Mattias Samuelsson: Nets go-ahead goal
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Samuelsson scored a goal on two shots, added nine hits and blocked two shots in Sunday's 4-3 win over the Bruins in Game 1.
Samuelsson had a career year in the regular season, but he faded a bit at the end with just seven points over his last 20 outings. In total, he had 13 goals and 41 points over 78 regular-season appearances. Samuelsson also logged 132 hits, 154 blocked shots and a plus-41 rating, so he'll provide some grit on the blue line in a top-four role.
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Sabres' Mattias Samuelsson: Ready to rock
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Samuelsson (rest) participated in Saturday's practice ahead of Buffalo's playoff opener against Boston on Sunday, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports.
Samuelsson returned to the top pairing after skipping Wednesday's matchup against Dallas to get some additional rest. He had a career year offensively during the 2025-26 regular season, collecting 13 goals and 41 points in 78 appearances. He also added 109 shots on net, 154 blocked shots and 132 hits.
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Sabres' Mattias Samuelsson: Gets back in goal column
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Samuelsson scored a goal on two shots and added three hits in Thursday's 4-1 loss to the Senators.
Samuelsson opened the scoring at 8:49 of the second period. The defenseman has enjoyed a career year, but he's slowed down slightly with seven points and a plus-4 rating over his last 15 outings. Overall, he's still firmly in a top-four role, which has seen him earn 13 goals, 41 points, 104 shots on net, 126 hits, 144 blocked shots and a plus-32 rating over 73 appearances. His point total this year matches his combined total from the previous four seasons, which saw him skate in 200 contests.
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Sabres' Mattias Samuelsson: Expected to play Wednesday
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Samuelsson (illness) is expected to be in the lineup Wednesday versus the Bruins.
Samuelsson participated in the Sabres' morning skate, so it's not much of a surprise that he's able to play in this contest. He'll be in a top-pairing role alongside Rasmus Dahlin. Samuelsson has three helpers and seven blocked shots over his last four games.
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Sabres' Mattias Samuelsson: Considered game-time decision
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Samuelsson (illness) is considered a game-time decision for Wednesday's matchup against Boston, Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News reports.
Samuelsson missed Tuesday's practice session due to an illness, but he felt better Wednesday morning and was on the ice for the Sabres' morning skate and appears to be trending in the right direction. Samuelsson has recorded points in three of his last four appearances, logging three assists, seven blocked shots, two PIM, a hit and a plus-4 rating while averaging 21:20 of ice time across that span.
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Sabres' Mattias Samuelsson: Registers assist in return
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Samuelsson posted an assist and three blocked shots in Tuesday's 2-0 win over the Golden Knights.
Samuelsson missed one game due to an undisclosed injury, sitting out Saturday versus the Maple Leafs. He had 22:20 of ice time Tuesday, so he looks good enough to handle his usual top-four minutes. Samuelsson is up to 37 points (12 goals, 25 helpers), 95 shots on net, 133 blocked shots, 109 hits and a plus-32 rating over 65 appearances in what's been an impressive breakout campaign.
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Sabres' Mattias Samuelsson: Set to return
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Samuelsson (undisclosed) is expected to be in the lineup Tuesday versus the Golden Knights, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports.
Samuelsson missed one game due to the injury. He'll return to his usual top-four role with a spot on the penalty kill. The 26-year-old has had a career year on offense, but he has earned just two points over his last 10 outings.
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Sabres' Mattias Samuelsson: Doubtful for Saturday
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Samuelsson (undisclosed) is doubtful for Saturday's matchup against Toronto, according to Jourdon LaBarber of the Sabres' official site.
Samuelsson didn't participate in Friday's practice and skipped Saturday's well-attended optional morning skate. He has produced 12 goals, 36 points, 94 shots on net, 130 blocked shots and 109 hits across 64 appearances this season. With Samuelsson unlikely to play, Zach Metsa or Michael Kesselring could draw back into the lineup after being healthy scratches in Thursday's 5-1 win over Pittsburgh.
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Sabres' Mattias Samuelsson: Questionable versus Leafs
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Samuelsson is dealing with an undisclosed injury and is questionable to face Toronto on Saturday, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports.
Samuelsson missed two games earlier in the year but has been a mainstay in the lineup ever since. In his 64 outings, the 25-year-old blueliner has set new personal bests in goals (12) and assists (24) while averaging a career-high 23:07 of ice time. If Samuelsson does miss out, Zach Metsa could step into the lineup in his stead.
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Sabres' Mattias Samuelsson: Deposits empty-netter
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Samuelsson scored an empty-net goal, blocked three shots and went plus-3 in Thursday's 5-1 win over the Penguins.
Samuelsson snapped a five-game point drought with the empty-netter. The 25-year-old defenseman has had an incredible campaign with 12 goals, 35 points, 89 shots on net, a plus-32 rating, 103 hits and 121 blocked shots. He's currently in a top-four role, but he would be the most likely player to see his ice time drop with the Sabres' acquisitions of Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn in a trade with the Jets on Thursday. That said, Samuelsson's success could help him keep his minutes while Stanley slots in on the third pairing once he gets into the lineup.
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Sabres' Mattias Samuelsson: Stays hot with goal
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Samuelsson scored a goal in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Kings.
Samuelsson has a goal and seven helpers during a five-game point streak. It's not the first time he's gotten hot this season, as the 25-year-old has had a breakout year that has cemented his status in the Sabres' top four. He's now at nine goals, 32 points, 70 shots on net, 82 hits, 105 blocked shots and a plus-28 rating over 51 appearances. He's unlikely to see power-play time, but the rest of his production has been excellent throughout the campaign.
