Buffalo Sabres Power Play to Benefit from Alex Nylander

Today, I’m reviewing some of the best Power Plays and Power Play players in the league, what makes them so good, and whether prospect Alex Nylander can provide a similar role for the Sabres.

In today’s NHL, taking advantage of Power Play opportunities is extremely important. For most teams, over 20% of their goals during the season are scored with a man-advantage. The 2013-14 season saw the Buffalo Sabres finish almost dead last in Power Play rankings. Since then, the team has seen a marked improvement, ranking 12th in the league last year, thanks largely to the play of Ryan O’Reilly, Jack Eichel and Rasmus Ristolainen. With the addition of forward Kyle Okposo, who ranked 31st in the league last year in Power Play points, as well as the continued net-front presence of Sam Reinhart, one would expect the Sabres to continue climbing.

But what will it take for the Sabres to become an NHL team with a truly elite Power Play, to be on the same level with teams like the San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks and Washington Capitals? The first thing that probably comes to mind when considering the Washington Capitals is Alex Ovechkin, the trigger-man, set up on the off-wing to rifle home the one-timer. True, having Ovechkin on the ice is most certainly going to make a big difference, but more important is the player that can maintain control of the puck and move it where it needs to be, without whom it becomes a much more difficult task to open up those passing lanes.

For the Capitals, this player is Nicklas Backstrom, arguably the best playmaker in the league. On the Power Play, you’ll most often see him on the sideboards, moving the puck up and down the wall. Up top, he has the option of John Carlson; down low, Kuznetsov; in the middle, Oshie; and across the way, at the far point, is Ovechkin, waiting for that seam to open up. Backstrom is the key to the Washington Power Play, and it all starts with his possessing the puck, directing the flow of traffic, evading defenders and keeping the play alive. When a puck is retrieved after a missed shot attempt, it’s immediately shuffled back up the wall to Backstrom, allowing the Power Play to reset and initiate its next attack.

For the Blackhawks, this player is Patrick Kane, one of the most deceptive players in the game, and his ability to play keep away is something that drives defenders mad. Kane has a skillset that few can match, able to stickhandle himself out of the tightest spaces, all the while keeping the play alive on the wall until an opportunity presents itself. For the Sharks, this player is Joe Thornton, a veteran player that understands the importance of patience, of not trying to force a play or get pressured into otherwise coughing up the puck, and when factoring in his 6’4, 220 lb. frame, Thornton is extremely difficult to knock off the puck. All 3 players – Backstrom, Kane and Thornton – finished in the top five in the league in Power Play points, and all of them are masters at controlling the play and dishing the puck from the half-wall.

This type of Power Play set-up is known as an Overload, with 3 players positioned on one side of the ice: 1) at the point, 2) on the half-wall and 3) down low at the goal line. The control of the play is focused on that one side of the ice, moving up and down the wall, waiting for a defender to over-commit or to otherwise fall out of position. The other two players of the five-man unit are typically set up in the middle of the ice, one in front of the net and the other at the point.

Often times, when the puck is moved up to the defenseman at the point on the overloaded side, you will see him walk the blue-line in order to move the puck towards the middle of the ice. This type of set-up is called the Umbrella, and you may recall seeing Ristolainen do this, working the puck towards the middle to let off a shot while the forwards down low crash the net. In the Umbrella, one player will remain in the middle of the ice at the point, near the blue-line, flanked by two players, one on each side, who drop down to the areas around the top of each circle. The other two players will set up near the goal, to screen, deflect or punch in a rebound.

Throughout the course of last season, we saw the Buffalo Sabres employ both strategies. But how much more would they benefit from having a player with elite puck skills, like Patrick Kane or Nicklas Backstrom? Though many anticipated the Sabres would draft a defenseman with the 8th overall pick this year, when hearing Alex Nylander called to the stage, I have to think this is one thing Tim Murray had in mind. Alex Nylander is the type of player that immediately reminds me of a Niklas Backstrom. His puck skills, his vision and his ability to control the play are what truly set him apart.

Of the 75 points Nylander had for the Steelheads in the OHL last year, 47 of those were assists, with 19 of them coming on the Power Play. Additionally, while playing for Team Sweden at the IIHF World Junior Championships, Nylander was forced to take on a larger role after his brother William went down with a concussion. Nylander stepped up and showed-off his elite passing skill,his vision and his scoring touch, solidifying his place as a top-ten draft pick in the NHL. If that’s not enough, he possesses the triple threat with an accurate, high-velocity wrist shot – perhaps his personal trademark, when considering his duly named @snipeshow98 Twitter feed.

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Though improving, the Sabres don’t really have the high-skill level player that can step up and take this position. They experimented in the earlier part of last season with having Jack Eichel in this role, but it was met with criticism over the fact that Eichel’s shot on the off-wing is more important. Eichel is more of a shooter, and I foresee him playing that Ovechkin type of role, while Sam Reinhart has proved to be invaluable in front of the net. Nylander could be the missing piece, albeit another year or two down the road.

In looking ahead to the future at a Power Play with Eichel and Ristolainen at the point, Reinhart positioned in front of the net, O’Reilly working the play down low (who is excellent at stealing and retrieving pucks) and Nylander on the half-wall, the Sabres could find themselves possessing all the pieces to eventually become an elite Power Play. Give us your thoughts on the Sabres Power Play and where you see each player fitting in.