Samberg hitting stride on Jets’ second D pairing

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This article was published 23/10/2024 (347 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SEATTLE — Dylan Samberg didn’t need a road map to know what his next destination on the depth chart was going to be.

Long before frequent defence partner Nate Schmidt had the final year of his contract bought out and Brenden Dillon departed in free agency for the New Jersey Devils, Samberg had set his sights on a promotion and put in the work to ensure that he won the job on the Winnipeg Jets’ second pairing with Neal Pionk.

It’s been a methodical process for the defenceman, dating back to when the organization chose him in the second round (47th overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft out of Hermantown High School in Minnesota.

The three seasons spent with the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs — including a pair of NCAA Frozen Four championships — two trips to the world junior hockey championship with Team USA and parts of two seasons in the American Hockey League with the Manitoba Moose put him on this path.

Entering his third full season, Samberg felt he was prepared for the increased responsibility and the early returns have been promising.

“That’s obviously something I want to continue to work on, something that I was looking to achieve this year,” said Samberg. “The coaches have that trust in me, to put me on the ice in certain situations. I feel like I’ve been building to this point over the past few years.”

After defeating the St. Louis Blues 3-2 on Tuesday to improve to 6-0-0, the Jets stayed off the ice on Wednesday in preparation for Thursday’s game with the Seattle Kraken.

Samberg has seen a dramatic increase in playing time after the promotion, often being thrown over the boards with the top penalty killing unit to go along with his even-strength play.

He’s up to just under 21 minutes per game and his steadying presence has been noticeable in all three zones.

“We all knew he was capable of it. But with a couple of guys (Schmidt and Dillon) leaving on the back end, it gives him a little bit of space to grow into that,” said Jets forward Morgan Barron. “He’s steady Eddy. You know what you’re going to get out of him every night — and I mean that in the best way possible. He’s always going to go out there and compete and block shots and do the little things. He’s also done a great job chipping in offensively and creating opportunities.”

When you’re playing an additional five-plus minutes per game, often against more skilled competition, the degree of difficulty rises but that’s part of the challenge Samberg enjoys.

Since breaking into the NHL as a regular, Samberg has been known for his ability — and willingness — to block shots but he’s showing that he’s more than just a stay-at-home defenceman.

“He’s able to think his way around out on the ice and it always seems like he’s in a great position,” said Barron. “As time has gone on, there’s been some layers of offence that you didn’t see originally that he’s continued to add to his own game. There are things you probably appreciate about him more the more you’re around him.”

“He’s able to think his way around out on the ice and it always seems like he’s in a great position.”–Morgan Barron

Blues defenceman Scott Perunovich has been around Samberg a great deal on the road to the NHL.

They were teammates at Minnesota-Duluth and also with Team USA at the world junior hockey championship and a world men’s hockey championship.

“He’s always got a smile on his face. If you’re having a tough day, he’s the first person you see that normally makes it better,” said Perunovich. “He’s a funny guy and he’s got a big heart. He’s a special guy to have on a team.”

Perunovich isn’t the least bit surprised to see Samberg excelling, noting that his skill set is reminiscent of Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman.

“Even when we were freshmen in college, I thought that once we got to the NHL, he was really going to shine,” said Perunovich. “I don’t think he’s going to dangle four guys and then score all of the time, but he’s got a great stick, he’s super good positionally, he’s physical and he’s smart. Defence comes second nature to him.”

Sound defensive play is what helped Samberg earn the trust of his coaches and his ability to process things at a high rate of speed has been critical to the development process.

“It’s one of those things where you do it over and over and over again,” said Samberg, noting that muscle memory plays a role along with the video study he does. “It’s like anything, you see a certain play on the ice multiple times, so that’s where you can get that anticipation going.

“When I’m at my best, I anticipate those plays and usually disrupt them.”

That innate ability to read and break up a play is a big part of what has allowed Samberg to thrive.

“The good ones have a high IQ in recognizing what the next play is,” said Jets head coach Scott Arniel. “I like the fact that Sammy started with the Moose and built his way up here. He’s had two years of growing as a player, finding his game, finding his niche of what he’s really good at and making sure he’s doing that every night. Now he’s taken on the next step.”

Samberg is big, strong and mobile, which means he can provide a physical presence while not putting himself out of position when trying to throw a big hit.

“When it’s available, take it,” said Samberg. “If you’re going to jump into the play like that (and throw a hit), take the puck or take the man. You have to make sure that you don’t miss both.”

As far as the offence goes, Samberg scored a beautiful goal in the season opener against the Edmonton Oilers, joining the rush and firing home his shot.

He also chipped in his first assist of the campaign against the Blues, getting the puck over to Kyle Connor for what turned out to be the game-winning goal.

“That helps. Hopefully I can shoot the puck more like that,” said Samberg. “I want to continue to show more.”

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

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