4 UFA Options For Sabres To Find D-Partner for Owen Power

One of the Buffalo Sabres most pressing concerns is to find a defense partner for blueliner Owen Power.

The Buffalo Sabres have plenty of work to do this offseason to try to finally break their NHL-record of 14 consecutive seasons without making the playoffs. One of their most pressing concerns, per Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News, is to find a defense partner for blueliner Owen Power.

Power, a left-shot D, was the No. 1 pick in the NHL Draft by the Sabres in 2021, but took a step back this season, skidding to a plus/minus rating in the negatives for the first time in his three year career (-13), and having his lowest average ice-time (21:19). Part of that, no doubt, was the lack of a strong partner on the right side.

Hall of Famer Chris Pronger, speaking with The Athletic recently, illustrated this as an issue that needs to be addressed.

Owen Power needs a defense partner who can 'bail him out'

“Feeling that pressure, feeling the weight of expectations, the weight of being first overall and the weight of losing and on and on and you become gun-shy,” Pronger said. “And he doesn’t have a D partner he can rely on to bail him out. He has to be the guy to bail out the other guy. It can be a vicious cycle in this learning curve and in his development".

Lysowski lists four pending unrestricted free agent right-shot defensemen that the Sabres should target as a potential fit to line up beside Power:

Aaron Ekblad
Brent Burns
Cody Ceci
Dante Fabbro

Is UFA Aaron Ekblad a target for the Buffalo Sabres?

Ekblad was in line for a long-term deal with an AAV of close to $7 million, according to AFP Analytics projections at midseason. But since then, he was suspended for 20 games for PED use, costing him the first two games of the playoffs for the Florida Panthers, and then another two-game suspension has taken him out of the lineup again. The Panthers advanced without him.

Burns has had a somewhat questionable season for his own reasons. The 20-year-veteran would only cost a one-year deal, but he has seen his offense crater, and has been prone to a number of costly turnovers.

Ceci or Fabbro would have a lesser impact as additions, but could be had for under $4 million.

Power suffered an awkward fall on his left leg near the end of the season which forced him to miss the final three games, his only games out of the lineup all year. He said that he will not need surgery and should be fully recovered by July.

When he shows up at training camp, it'll be interesting to see who the Sabres have lined up to play alongside him.