NHL Rumors: Insider Thinks Owen Power Needs Change of Scenery
They are playing better hockey of late, yet still sit near the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 9-9-4 record and a 14 year playoff drought hanging over everything.
In that context, insider Frank Seravalli has zeroed in on Owen Power trade chatter, suggesting the former first overall pick might need a fresh start as much as the Sabres need a real shakeup. For a 23 year old in year two of a seven year, 58.45 million dollar deal, that is not a small conversation.
Why Owen Power looks ready for a fresh start
Seravalli called Power “the poster child” of what is going wrong in Buffalo, noting that he sees a talented defenseman “languishing” on a team that still does not see light at the end of the tunnel.
The numbers back up the sense of stagnation.
Through his first 21 games of 2025-26, Power has just seven points, two goals and five assists, with a minus five rating and his ice time down to a career low 20:48 per night. For a six foot six defender who was drafted first overall in 2021 and paid like a future franchise anchor, that kind of plateau is tough to ignore.
Frank Seravalli: Re Sabres: You've got some really talented players and Owen Power I think is the poster child; he's languishing; a lot of guys in Buffalo, they don't see light at the end of the tunnel - Canucks Central (11/21)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) November 24, 2025
Critics keep pointing out that he does not use his size enough in the defensive zone, and this year the usual offensive payoff has not really been there either.
There is still reason to believe a breakout is possible, which is exactly why rival teams would line up if the Sabres ever made him available. Under the hood, Power’s underlying metrics look far better than his box score.
He ranks near the top of Buffalo’s blue line in expected goals share at five on five and is among their best defenders at limiting scoring chances against per sixty minutes. That profile screams “bounce back candidate” in the right environment. It is not hard to imagine a club convincing itself that a new system, a steadier partner or a cleaner team structure could unlock the version of Power everyone expected when he came out of the University of Michigan.
What an Owen Power trade would mean for the Sabres
If the Sabres ever put serious weight behind Owen Power trade talks, the market would explode. A 23 year old former first overall pick with term, cost certainty and clear underlying talent is the exact profile rebuilding teams and contenders alike covet.
At the same time, this is where the risk comes in for general manager Kevyn Adams. Buffalo needs more players to elevate, not fewer.
Owen Power's NHL career so far:
— Big Head Hockey (@bigheadhockey) November 22, 2025
— 21g | 97a | 118pts in 262 games
— +2
— averages 37pts per 82 games
— finished 3rd in Calder voting in 2023
— currently having the worst analytical season of his career
Is he ever going to be a #1 defenseman? pic.twitter.com/OWlEKbGtHJ
Power is struggling, but he is not a lost cause. Advanced numbers suggest he can rebound, and there is still time for him to grow into a more complete defender.
The Sabres have already watched plenty of former players leave and thrive elsewhere. If they decide this is the moment to move him, they had better be sure they are not gifting another team a future top pair defenseman just to shake things up.
Photo Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
