WHT Prospect Profile: Dylan Samberg
With the 43rd overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Kevin Cheveldayoff and the Winnipeg Jets plucked left-shooting defenceman Dylan Samberg from the neighbouring state of Minnesota.
After going for talent in the first round with the selection of Kristian Vesalainen, the Jets filled a positional need on the left side with Dylan Samberg. The big, smooth-skating defenceman was ranked as high as #39 by hockeyprospect.com, while TSN and Bob McKenzie had him at #44 on their rankings.
Samberg’s selection is unique in the fact that he was selected straight from high school. It is fairly uncommon for high schoolers to be picked at the draft, and rarely are they selected as high as the second round. As far as prospects go, Dylan Samberg is as raw as they come.
At 6’3″, Samberg is a big defenseman. He is a good skater with decent mobility and good top end speed. He is able to pinch and use his speed to get back defensively, similar to Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson (though he lacks the offensive instincts of Karlsson). Dylan Samberg has good balance, strength, and is hard to knock off the puck.
Offensively, Samberg owns a pretty good shot. His wrist shot and his slapshot are hard and accurate. As mentioned, his speed allows him to pinch and join the rush with relative ease. His passing and puck handling need improvement. At times, his decisions with the puck can occasionally lead to poor passes or giveaways. His shot selection could also use some work.
Dylan Samberg opened up his high school hockey career in 2014-15, appearing in 11 games for Hermantown High School, scoring one goal. The following year, Samberg suited up in 23 games, scoring 5 times and assisting on 13 others, to go along with 6 PIM. This past year, Samberg wore the ‘C’ as captain of Hermantown High School. He played in 25 games, scoring 10 goals and 18 assists while racking up 43 PIM. Samberg’s biggest goal of his career to date came in his final high school game, scoring in double overtime to clinch the Class A State Championship for his team. Samberg finished the year with the Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL, scoring a goal and an assist in 6 games. Samberg added to his trophy case at the end of the season as well, winning the Reed Larsen Award, given to the top defenceman in Minnesota high school hockey. He was also a finalist for Minnesota’s Mr. Hockey, given to the top player in Minnesota high school. That honour went to Casey Mittelstadt, who went eighth overall to the Buffalo Sabres.
Name: Dylan Samberg
Position: Defenceman
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 190 lbs
Shoots: Left
DOB: January 24, 1999
Born: Hermantown, MN
Team: Hermantown High School
College commitment: Minnesota-Duluth (NCAA)
Draft: 2nd round, 43rd overall
Player Comparison: Ryan McDonagh
What did you think of the selection of Dylan Samberg? Leave your opinions in the comment section, or tweet me on Twitter, @WHTRiley. I would love to talk hockey with you.
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