The Buffalo Sabres announced a stunning contract extension on Wednesday, having signed young defenseman Mattias Samuelsson to a seven-year, $30 million deal. The contract is a huge shocker considering Samuelsson hasn't even played a full season's worth of games in the NHL yet. Samuelsson, 22, has featured in a total of 54 NHL games throughout his career, yet the Sabres were seemingly convinced by his production in his short sample, enough so to ink him to the long-term contract extension.

Samuelsson's new deal will carry an average annual value of $4.285 million and will come into effect in the 2023-24 NHL season. He's on the books for $925,000 in 2022-23.

Samuelsson debuted for the Sabres during the 2020-21 NHL season, during which he featured in 12 games and registered two points. In 2021-22, the defenseman played in 42 games, logging 10 points, all of which came off of assists.

The Sabres view Samuelsson as one of their top defenseman of the future, evidenced by their decision to bump him up to the first line alongside young phenom Rasmus Dahlin. Dahlin, also 22, is making $6 million per year and is under contract through the 2023-24 season, after which he'll be a restricted free agent. It would be shocking if the Sabres opted against re-signing Dahlin at that juncture, so there's a real chance that he and Samuelsson will make up the Sabres' top defensive line for the foreseeable future.

The decision to sign Mattias Samuelsson on for $30 million was met with much surprise around the league, but the Sabres have a plan in place for the 22-year-old, and there's a real chance that this deal ends up looking like a bargain within just a few years.