The Buffalo Sabres’ turnaround season left most of the roster with room for strong marks, and Owen Power is no exception. Still, the big question hanging over the 23-year-old defenseman is the same one that has followed him for a while now: is there another level coming, or is this close to the finished product?
Power’s season was not a disappointment, but it also didn’t push him into the tier many expected when Buffalo took him first overall in 2021. His offense dipped by 11 points, falling from 40 in 2024-25 to 29 last season, and that drop only sharpened the sense that he has not yet fully matched the billing attached to his name.
Grade: B+
There are reasons Power remains such an important piece in Buffalo. He’s on a strong contract at $8.35-million per season for the next five years, and he still plays heavy minutes, even if not quite as many as some might assume. His average ice time was 21:39, which ranked fourth among Sabres defensemen and was also below his career average of 22:24.
That usage says something about how Lindy Ruff views him. The coach isn’t handing Power the biggest load on the blue line, and that decision appears tied to performance more than reputation. Power has yet to make the kind of leap that would force him into the conversation with the league’s very best defensemen.
At the same time, Buffalo can’t ignore what he still brings. The Sabres leaned on team defense last season, and it helped them become one of the league’s best clubs in their own end. Buffalo finished with a 2.91 goals-against average, good for a top-10 mark in the NHL, and Power deserves some credit for being part of that structure.
Even so, the feeling around him is hard to miss. People want more.
The uncomfortable possibility is that there may not be much more to come. He is still far from his prime, so this story is nowhere near finished, but the Sabres need him to keep climbing if he’s going to become the 1A-type defender they want him to be.
Buffalo has been lucky enough to land Dahlin and Power in a three-year span of draft lottery success, but Power has not reached the same heights as Dahlin. After four full NHL seasons, he still hasn’t been the consistently above-average player Buffalo projected, though there is still time for him to change that story.
If Power can rediscover the offense he had two seasons ago, this grade will move up with him. For now, he remains a good defenseman with a lot still to prove.
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