Sambrook is an all-situations defender who shows off his versatility nearly every shift. He is a strong backward skater as he digs in and makes good use of edges, adding more to each push and stride. His pivots are smooth, quick and effective; however, he can get beat to the inside as he pivots to keep up with his man. He makes a strong first pass on the breakout to his man in the neutral zone, getting the puck through the lane with urgency. When the long outlet isn’t available, Sambrook has the sense to know he needs to make the short and simple passes to move the puck forward. He’s not one to drive forward in possession as he makes that hard outlet pass, instead limiting his overall offensive impact and potential. When he is manning the point, he makes good reads and knows when it is best to pinch and keep the puck in the zone, getting it to his man in the corner. He uses his reach very well on the outside as he defends the attacker on entry, using his reach to limit the gap and swipe the puck off the stick when he is able to do so effectively. In retrieval, Sambrook needs to be careful he doesn’t get too comfortable and unaware of a man coming behind him. There were a few plays this season when he got complacent with a slow retrieval and lost foot races for pucks as he didn’t realize the man was coming on. This third-pairing D-man on a deep Otters squad is a raw, underrated defender who has good upside.   (May 2016)