Lindy Ruff didn’t exactly come out and hand Owen Power a headline-grabbing challenge, but the message was there anyway.
With Bowen Byram gone, the Buffalo Sabres have to reshuffle a blue line that was one of the league’s best Top 4 groups last season. Ruff, speaking on WGR550, pointed to Olen Zellweger and Louis Crevier as possible replacements in the lineup, but he made it clear that the bigger swing could come from Power.
"I still think that the defense is a strength of ours. Our Top 4, you look at right now, and we've got a guy like Zellweger who's stepping in. We got Crevier, another big guy that will be stepping in," Ruff said.
"I feel like that is still going to be our strength. Are we going to miss [Byram]?
We are going to miss him, but it's another opportunity. I think that Owen Power took a big step and is ready to step in and be a huge factor in the way we play, in all aspects of our game, whether it's penalty kill or power play."
That’s the real pressure point for Buffalo. Zellweger and Crevier may help fill the opening, but the Sabres are clearly looking at Power to absorb a lot of what Byram left behind.
That expectation has followed Power since Buffalo made him the No. 1 pick in 2021. He still hasn’t fully matched that billing, but last season brought him closer, even though his point total dropped from 40 in 2024-25 to 29 in 2025-26.
The underlying numbers back up Ruff’s read. Per Natural Stat Trick, Power improved year over year in Corsi For %, Goals For %, xGoals %, Scoring Chances For %, and High-Danger Chances For %.
The special teams piece may be where the Sabres need him most. Byram’s departure leaves a hole on both the power play and penalty kill, and Ruff’s comments suggest Power is set to be a bigger part of that answer.
He’s already been a steady penalty-kill presence. Over the last three seasons, Power has logged at least 115 minutes there, and last season he hit a career high with nearly 153 minutes.
The power play is where the opportunity really opens up. Power’s role there shrank last season, dropping to 75:46 after he had topped 120 minutes in each of the previous three seasons. And while he’s had the chances, the production hasn’t fully followed: one career power-play goal and 19 power-play assists.
Still, the Sabres need someone to give that unit a jolt after two straight seasons of struggles. For Power, that creates a clear opening to show the growth Ruff is talking about and push himself back toward 40-point territory.
Zellweger or Crevier may wind up in Byram’s old spot, but the bigger burden falls on Power. Buffalo needs the former first-overall pick to help replace the production that walked out the door.
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