The Buffalo Sabres are stuck in a nightmare loop. Despite flashes of competence, the team is hovering near the bottom of the East, and the 14-year playoff drought feels heavier than ever. Now, the frustration has found a new target: Owen Power.
Insider Frank Seravalli recently suggested the former first-overall pick is “languishing” in Buffalo and might need a change of scenery. But before fans grab their pitchforks or pack his bags, we need to look closer. Is trading a 23-year-old defensive anchor a necessary shakeup, or the kind of panic move that sets a franchise back another five years? The answer isn’t as simple as his box score suggests.
As someone who watches the tape and crunches the numbers, the narrative around Owen Power right now is fascinating—and dangerous.
There is no denying the optics are bad. When you are in year two of a seven-year, $58.45 million contract, posting seven points in 21 games with a minus-five rating isn’t going to cut it. Power’s ice time has dipped to a career-low 20:48, and visually, he looks hesitant. Critics argue he isn’t utilizing his 6-foot-6 frame to clear the front of the net, and his offensive instincts seem stifled by the team’s overall lack of confidence.
However, if GM Kevyn Adams pulls the trigger on a trade based on a bad 20-game stretch, he’s playing with fire.
Why a “Fresh Start” Trade Could Haunt the Sabres
This is the classic NHL trap: selling low on an elite asset because the team environment is toxic. While Power’s raw production is down, his underlying metrics paint a picture of a player doing his job in a broken system.
Power actually ranks near the top of the Sabres’ blue line in Expected Goals percentage (xG%) at 5-on-5. He is suppressing high-danger chances better than most of his teammates. This disconnect between his advanced stats and his actual results screams “bad luck” and “poor team structure.”
If the Sabres trade him now, the return will be massive—teams love cost-controlled, 23-year-old pedigree defensemen. But Buffalo doesn’t need more assets; they need their core to perform. Sending Power to a contender where he will almost certainly thrive (think Ryan O’Reilly or Jack Eichel winning Cups immediately after leaving) would be a psychological blow this franchise cannot afford.
The Sabres need a shakeup, absolutely. But trading the guy who is statistically driving play—despite the chaos around him—feels like treating the symptom, not the disease.
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The post Is Owen Power Done in Buffalo? Sabres Trade Rumors Heat Up appeared first on NHL Trade Rumors.
