The 20-year-old defenseman was chosen in the second round (No. 32) of the 2018 NHL Draft. His father is former defenseman Kjell Samuelsson, who played 813 games in the NHL, won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1992 and is director of player development for the Philadelphia Flyers.
Mattias Samuelsson had 26 points (seven goals, 19 assists) in two seasons at Western Michigan University, where he was an alternate captain as a sophomore. He twice played for the United States at the IIHF World Junior Championship, helping it finish second in 2019, and was captain in 2020.
"We are very pleased with Mattias' growth both at Western Michigan and on the international stage," Sabres general manager Jason Botterill said. "He possesses a unique combination of size, speed and skill, and we look forward to working with him on his next steps as a pro."
Samuelsson was teammates with forward Dawson DiPietro at Western Michigan. DiPietro agreed to a one-year, entry-level contract with the Sabres on Monday.
"I think he's just a presence out there," DiPietro said of Samuelsson during Sabres development camp in 2019. "He's big guy. He's a big body out there. He gets it done every time he's on the ice. He doesn't really have to say much, but he gets the job done. He's a physical guy. He's a guy people look up to."
