Samberg growing into role Rookie blue-liner’s confidence increasing with experience By: Jeff Hamilton Posted: 7:00 PM CST Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023

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This article was published 28/02/2023 (922 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Dylan Samberg has experienced his share of highs and lows along the way, just like all young players trying to carve out a career in the best hockey league in the world.

The Winnipeg defenceman is in the midst of his first full season in the NHL, suiting up for 47 of the Jets’ 61 games. The 24-year-old Minnesota product had two goals and six assists prior to Tuesday’s battle with the visiting Los Angeles Kings, playing mainly on the third pairing and averaging 15 minutes per game alongside veteran Nate Schmidt.

It’s a much different world than the one he’s been used to in recent years.

Samberg, a second-round draft pick (43rd overall) in 2017, spent much of his early pro career with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, logging 64 games over the last two seasons, following a three-year run with the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He played 15 games for the Jets during the 2021-22 campaign – a season that was derailed by a serious ankle injury suffered on the first day of training camp that kept him out for nearly two months.

He admitted he continues to find his footing in what’s still considered his rookie campaign.

“I feel like I’m becoming more confident as the season goes along,” Samberg told the Free Press after Tuesday’s morning skate. “There’s a lot of learning curves that go on throughout your first season, but I feel like with the coaching staff and all the guys here helping me out, I’ve been able to grow my game.”

Finding consistency in his game has been among the toughest challenges.

Samberg doesn’t bring the kind of offensive flash provided by Josh Morrissey or Neal Pionk, as he’s more of a shutdown defenceman who uses his body to separate his opponent from the puck.

A big part of adjusting to the NHL has been the heightened level of talent he faces on a nightly basis. At 6-3, 190 pounds, Samberg certainly looks the part, but it can be challenging trying to figure out what he can get away with — and where — when battling the league’s best players.

“Sometimes, you’re out there against the team’s all-star and you’ve got to be able to understand how much space to give him,” Samberg said. “You can’t just go and attack them because they can make you look dumb. Moving the puck up ice is also really important. Everyone in this league has good sticks and there’s always sticks in the passing lanes. It’s trying to find those lanes for passes and shots.”

Jets head coach Rick Bowness sees Samberg as a player who’s still finding his groove but has made a positive impression while navigating through inevitable growing pains of being an inexperienced player.

There was a stretch in January durig which Bowness kept Samberg out of the lineup, including scratching him on his birthday, but he’s been a regular part of the top-6 defensive corps ever since, suiting up for nine of the last 10 games.

That’s how, in part, Samberg has evaluated his season, basing his success on how much he’s playing. He wants to keep earning the trust of his coaches and teammates by helping his club push for a playoff spot as it enters the final stretch.

“It takes a lot longer for young defenceman in this league (to develop), especially at this time of year, when the intensity picks up and the speed picks up, the pace picks up, the veterans take over the game,” Bowness said. “He’s come a long way. He’s improved a lot and that’s the most important thing. He’ll continue to grow as he’s faced with these situations that we’re going to be faced with over the next 22 games.”

Bowness also credited associate coach Scott Arniel for working closely with Samberg — showing him video and stressing other ways to help polish his game.

Samberg said he’s also leaned on his teammates and is grateful for being part of such a tight-knit group of defencemen to help support him on the daily grind of being an NHLer, with not only physical hurdles to clear but also mental ones.

“We talk to him every day. It’s our job, as coaches, to help him along the way,” Bowness said. “Correct his mistakes with the right words and the right tone, when necessary. He’s come a long way and give Scott a lot of credit because he spends a lot of time with him.”

Among the many firsts this season for Samberg includes navigating through an NHL trade deadline. The Jets have already swung one deal – trading a second-round pick in 2024 to Nashville for forward Nino Niederreiter – and been reported to be looking for a top-four defenceman, a move that could end up severely limiting Samberg’s ice time come playoffs.

Then, there’s the possibility that Samberg could be a piece that other teams might be interested in acquiring; big, young and physical defencemen are always highly coveted. It’s something Samberg said he’s trying not to think much about, not with the Jets trying to get back on track following losses in five of their last six games heading into Tuesday night.

“If something happens, it happens and it is what it is,” he said. “Trade deadline is obviously an exciting time. We had a great pickup in Nino there and I think he’ll be able to help us score some goals, which would be really helpful.”

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton