Jets draft pick Samberg in no rush to turn pro after back-to-back college titles

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This article was published 23/04/2019 (2328 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Dylan Samberg was just about to head to his statistics class Tuesday afternoon, so a probability question posed to the University of Minnesota (Duluth) student-athlete seemed appropriate.

Winnipeg Jets fans will be interested in the young man’s calculated response.

But first, some background.

Samberg, 20, is in his second year of business studies at the campus just 35 kilometres from his home in Saginaw, Minn. Focusing on his schoolwork the last 10 days hasn’t been easy but he admits now he’s pretty much back in the groove.

The grounds for his distraction? Samberg plays defence for the Bulldogs hockey team that captured its second consecutive U.S. college hockey title April 13 in Buffalo, site of the NCAA Frozen Four championship. Minnesota-Duluth shut out Massachusetts 3-0 in the final.

There’s been plenty of celebrating since the Bulldogs’ mammoth victory, all G-rated, of course.

“To be completely honest, it really hasn’t even sunk in yet. It’s something I feel really fortunate to have experienced the one time. But twice? I’m really blessed,” Samberg said.

“With my defensive partner, (L.A. Kings prospect) Mikey Anderson, we played a lot of minutes and most of the pivotal times in the game. Our role was to log big minutes and to play shutdown (defence).

“We came home and they had a big celebration for us here (in Duluth) and there was a lot of people from the community that came out. We signed some autographs, so that was cool.”

OK, back to that question. After two sensational seasons in college, what are the chances the 6-4, 215-pound blue-liner leaves school after his sophomore year and signs a pro contract with the Jets, the NHL organization that drafted him two years ago?

“My plan at this time is to play another year in Duluth. I think there’s no reason to rush it. We’ll see where that goes,” Samberg said. “After next year I’ll be 21. I have plenty of time and I think I could use another year to develop.

“I’m looking forward to (being with Winnipeg). They run a great organization and, obviously, they’ve had a lot of success. Hopefully, at some point I’m able to fit into their lineup and play.”

Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff was asked Monday if he’s had any discussions with the left-shooting Samberg recently.

“Dylan and I have texted back and forth here over the last couple of days and I’m looking forward to connecting with him… (to) see if there’s a way we can either sit down face-to-face or at least converse and see where things are at right now. But (there’s) no finality to that situation,” Cheveldayoff said during his end-of-season meeting with the media.

Success seems to follow Samberg around. Before joining the Bulldogs he won back-to-back high school state championships (2016, ’17) with the Hermantown Hawks, playing the role of double-overtime hero with the game-winning goal to complete the repeat.

Three months later, the Jets called his name in the second round (43rd overall) of the NHL Draft in Chicago. Samberg, a self-professed physical, stay-at-home defenceman who suited up at two development camps in Winnipeg in 2017 and ’18, has been following the exploits of the NHL club ever since.

He watched a lot of the Jets playoff series with the St. Louis Blues, as a fan of the club that owns his rights but also with an eye to learning.

“It was a fun series to watch but not the way they wanted it to end,” he said. “Playoffs is so much more intense, so I really paid attention to the Jets and how they played. You can definitely take so many things from their game, because they’re playing at a high level for a reason.

“Hopefully, I’ll get there someday, so I’m trying to take some skill out of their book that I can use in mine.”

The Jets have several defenceman among their list of top prospects. Sami Niku, Tucker Poolman and Logan Stanley head the class of blue-liners and Samberg slots in right behind.

Like the others, Samberg would require some seasoning with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL before he’d have an opportunity to crack the NHL roster.

While he upped his offensive numbers this season, scoring seven goals (six more than his freshman year) and adding a dozen assists in 39 games, he doesn’t wow with slick offensive plays. His tidy, prevent style of play is what earned him a spot on two U.S. world junior squads — he won a bronze in ’18 and settled for silver a couple of month ago in Vancouver.

He’s aged out of the junior program but cherishes the memories.

“Any time you put on the USA sweater, it something that’s really special. I was just like a lot of kids, dreaming about that. To walk away with a couple of medals was a great experience,” he said.

Samberg has another couple of weeks of classes and exams in May, and then will spend the summer with his parents, Mike and Patty, and his pal Copper, a 16-year-old golden retriever. He’s already firmed up his usual summer job at Amsoil Arena in Duluth, doing outdoor maintenance.

And there’s always golf. Plenty of golf.

“Growing up, I was always playing hockey, baseball, football and soccer. In high school, I started playing a lot of golf, so I’m glad the summer’s coming,” said the southpaw, who plays to about a 4-handicap. “I just love staying active.”

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell