When the Buffalo Sabres dealt Bowen Byram earlier this summer, the obvious question was who would absorb the minutes and responsibility he left behind.
The answer, at least in part, points to Owen Power.
Power entered the league with the weight that comes with being a former first-overall pick, but for much of his early run he hadn’t separated himself in a major way. That changed during the Sabres’ historic postseason push last season, when the organization and its fans finally got a clear look at what he can bring when the games tighten up.
That playoff stretch is a big reason there wasn’t much resistance to moving Byram once the chance came along. Now the focus shifts to Power, and the pressure that comes with it. The Sabres need him to take the next step.
So what does that actually look like? It means taking the level he showed in the postseason and making it a regular feature across the 2026-27 season.
Buffalo wants Power to grow into a true shutdown defenseman who can still contribute offensively. It’s the same sort of leap Byram made this past season.
If Power gets there, he becomes the top-pairing defenseman Buffalo envisioned when it drafted him in 2021.
The idea goes even further than that. Byram’s departure created room for Power to establish himself as a legitimate number-one defenseman in his own right. If he does, the Sabres could end up with two number-one blueliners.
That doesn’t necessarily mean Lindy Ruff will put Power alongside Rasmus Dahlin. It might be tempting to try, but the cleaner approach is to keep them separated. Dahlin already has an ideal partner in Matias Samuelsson, and that gives Buffalo a natural lane to let Power run his own pairing.
The upside is obvious. If Dahlin handles one power-play unit and Power commands the other, opponents would have a much harder time finding an answer for Buffalo’s offense.
Everything here depends on Power proving he can be “the guy” on his own. The goal isn’t to replace Dahlin at the top of the blue line. It’s to give the Sabres a pair of pillars who can define the defense corps together.
If that happens, Buffalo could put itself in position to become the class of the Eastern Conference in a way the Carolina Hurricanes can only dream of. Either way, it’s a huge season for Power, cliché or not.
In Other News...
Tage Thompson Just Put Buffalos Next Big Roster Test In Focus
Tage Thompson spent part of his media session on a familiar hockey debate: what separates the elite from the rest in goal. The Sabres center made clear his admiration for Winnipegs Connor Hellebuyck, while also saying he likes the way Buffalos own goaltending group is shaping up. It was the kind of measured answer that fit the moment, with the Sabres still sorting through how much help they need and where they can trust internal growth.
Thompson also took time to salute some former teammates, praising Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram for the impact they made in Buffalo. With both players now gone, the conversation naturally shifted to who steps into those minutes and whether the teams younger core is ready to absorb more responsibility. Thompson sounded optimistic about that next wave, which only puts more attention on the roster decisions that still hang over the Sabres. [Read more 🡒]
Former Sabres Forward Leaves Behind An Overlooked Buffalo Legacy
Brent Peterson, whose hockey life stretched from the ice to the bench to the broadcast booth, has died at 68 after a long battle with Parkinsons disease. The former NHL forward spent an 11-year playing career with several teams before moving into coaching and media work, building a reputation that lasted well beyond his days as a player.
For Sabres followers, Petersons name may not always come first when his career is discussed, but his time in Buffalo was part of a broader body of work that made him a familiar figure across the league. He went on to make his biggest mark with the Nashville Predators organization and earlier earned acclaim for his coaching success with the Portland Winter Hawks, leaving behind a hockey legacy that reached far past any one stop. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Forward Logjam Just Raised The Stakes For Three Key Names
The Sabres are heading into a crowded forward picture for 2026-27, and the squeeze is already putting pressure on some familiar names. With 16 forwards fighting for 13 roster spots, Buffalo has little room for passengers, which turns every shift into part of a larger evaluation as the front office starts sorting out who fits long term and who does not.
Jason Zucker, Jack Quinn and Jiri Kulich sit at the center of that conversation, each for different reasons. Zucker is approaching unrestricted free agency, Quinn remains in restricted territory with his role tied to consistency, and Kulich is working back from a health setback with a path that still needs to be mapped out. For the Sabres, the next stretch is about more than filling a lineup card - it is about deciding which forwards are worth extending, which ones might be trade pieces, and which ones still need more time before the organization can make a real commitment. [Read more 🡒]