Samuelsson’s Spot?
Mike Babcock probably wants to see the Fiesty Mikael Samuelsson
MLIVE.com’s Ansar Khan offered up his latest scouting report on winger Mikael Samuelsson. His take on Samuelsson is very accurate:
He took a step back last season. Three separate injuries (shoulder, groin, foot) forced him to sit out 29 games, but even when healthy, he didn’t play with the same grit, determination and consistency he displayed for much of the previous season.
He has a good, hard shot and isn’t shy about using it, leading the club in average shots per game (3.57). That’s why he tends to play more on the perimeter than he should. With his size (6-2, 211) he should be more effective down low.
Dan Cleary might have snagged his scoring line spot this past season. Cleary played the way Samuelsson played in 2005-06. Cleary was great at dishing out hits on the forecheck and - just as important - was effective in front of the net in the offensive zone. Samuelsson, meanwhile, took lots of shots from the perimeter, the majority of which were easy saves.
Mike Babcock likes the fact Samuelsson is one of the few Wings who isn’t bashful about shooting the puck. But if he doesn’t get on the forecheck or get in close for higher quality scoring chances it will be very easy for Babcock to replace him on a scoring line. I think the experiment of having Samuelsson play on the point for the second power play unit was successful and wouldn’t be surprised if he played there some next season.
Here were his regular season power play totals from Behind the Net.
Minutes: 163.7
Goals for while on ice: 19
SH Goals allowed while on ice: 1
During the regular season his most common power play teammates were Mathieu Schneider, Nicklas Lidstrom, Robert Lang and Dan Cleary. So that could help to explain his very solid power play numbers. If he plays the point on the second power play unit the only player who would still be on the ice with him would likely be Dan Cleary.
Samuelsson didn’t play on the penalty kill last season, so he’s fairly one-dimensional although he’s responsible at even-strength. He’s going to need to play with the grit he demonstrated in 2005-06 if he’s going to have any shot at playing on a scoring line. If that happens he should be a lock to score 20+ goals so long as he stays healthy. He scored 23 goals in 2005-06 and was on pace to score 21 goals last season.
If he can’t hold down a scoring line spot he’ll likely play on the fourth line and will be a power play specialist. He has one of the better point shots on the team and he also might be more likely to go down low into the hard areas if the team has a man advantage.
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