Left-Handed Defenseman
US Men’s National Team Development Program (USHL and U-18)/Boston College (NCAA, 2018/19)
Size: 6’5 (196 cm) and 229 lbs (104 kg)
It’s insane to me that there’s two left handed defensemen named Samuelsson on the USMNTDP that are over 6’3 and 210 pounds, both of whom are sons of former NHL players. Adam is the son of the more famous Ulf Samuelsson, a 2 time Stanley Cup winner, and brother to two career AHL players Phillip and Henrik. All of them are known for dominating through physical play, but Adam has taken that to a whole new level.
His safe, defensive style combined with an excellent compete level and solid penalty killing ability is certainly intriguing to scouts, but I feel like his projection is burned by his brothers’ bust-worthy performances. It certainly doesn’t help that he’s a very slow defenseman in a game built on speed, but I’ll give him credit for at least being smooth on the ice. His vision is okay, but needs work, while his outlet and stretch passes deserve praise. I’m very impressed with his zone exits too. He also brings an extremely hard shot as a weapon in the offensive zone, but it’s never going to be a “go to” for teams. Hopefully he can learn to use it and get tips/rebounds up front for other big players, but that’s about the extent of what he offers. All in all, I’d say he can manage top 6 potential, but I’d prefer to keep him in the bottom 4 if he manages to stay in the NHL for an extended period of time.
Likely draft position: Outside the top 50
Best fits in the NHL: Toronto, New York Rangers, Los Angeles, Vegas, Pittsburgh, Boston
Player comparison(s): Pick a Samuelsson, you’re probably not wrong.
The Motor City Sports 