The Buffalo Sabres' power play has been an issue for a few seasons now, but they appear to be taking steps to try to improve it. One of the big changes is that Eric Staal will be more involved in coaching this unit, according to Lindy Ruff.
Already in training camp, the Sabres have begun practicing their power play, and Matthew Fairburn with The Athletic tweeted what the two power play units were in practice on Friday.
Sabres working on some special teams on day two of camp.
— Matthew Fairburn (@MatthewFairburn) September 18, 2026
PP1 is Thompson, Dahlin, Doan, Benson and Quinn
PP2 is Power, Kulich, Norris, Ostlund and McLeod with Helenius mixing in.
What is interesting about the first power-play unit is that this was the same five the Sabres used in the playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens. There was notable improvement with this group, as the Sabres had nine power-play goals in seven games compared to just one power-play goal in the Boston Bruins' series.
That top power-play unit accounted for five of them, with Jack Quinn scoring two and then Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, and Zach Benson each adding one. It makes sense for the Sabres to stick with this group because of the success they had, and they could get off to a fast start after playing together in that series against Montreal.
Buffalo Sabres second power play unit will see the biggest changes
As for the second unit, the Sabres lost both Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram this offseason so they were going to have to be replaced. However, the second unit has a ton of potential with the additions of Jiri Kulich, Noah Ostlund, and potentially Konsta Helenius.
Even with the potential, there is still so much uncertainty, especially if they go with those three younger players. On top of that, Owen Power is back on the power play and replacing Bowen Byram after having a limited role last season.
There is also the question of where Jason Zucker fits in on these power plays as the veteran forward is out due to offseason surgery and is expected to miss the start of the season. Zucker has been a big part of the Sabres power play the past two seasons, leading the team both seasons and being the only player with double-digit power-play goals during that stretch.
It is still early in training camp and there are things that are going to change but the best chance for the Buffalo Sabres to see improvements on the power play is keeping that top unit together while adjusting where needed on the second unit.
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