This was not the news that Sabres fans wanted to see this afternoon, as young defenseman Owen Power could miss the start of next season with a leg injury. It was revealed after the Lighting game that he would be shut down for the rest of the year, as only two games remained on the season.
However, no one realized the extent of the injury as we are looking at something way more severe. Power could now be out 6-8 months if not longer as he looks to recover and rehab his injury.
It could be an MCL injury or possibly an issue with the bone in his leg. After the season the Sabres have had, this just adds insult to injury, no pun intended. Power set a career-high in goals, assists, and total points this season. This now points us in the direction of how the defensive pairings will look to start next season.
Possible Pairings
Here is the current depth chart if Power is to miss some time to start next season.
Line 1: Dahlin & Byram
Line 2: Bernard-Docker & Samuelsson
Line 3: Bryson & Clifton
These lines are still pretty good even with Power out, the only question will be if Kevyn Adams re-signs Byram. If he does bring back Byram, I believe this defense will be improved from last year.
Having Bernard-Docker on the second line will give him more meaningful minutes as he will be with a defensive defenseman in Samuelsson. This will allow Bernard-Docker to do more offensively, and learn more defensively from a vet like Samuelsson.
I think the third line is solid as you pair Bryson and Clifton. Bryson can learn from the veteran presence of Clifton to improve his game. Although many people weren’t happy with the re-signing of Bryson, he did sign a team-friendly deal and will be a 3rd line pairing or reserve at best.
Clifton brings his experience from Boston, where he played in many playoff series which is what the Sabres and Bryson need. Clifton has done pretty well in Buffalo so far, and hopefully, he will keep that up heading into next year.
Heading into next year, Sabres fans can only hope for a speedy recovery for Power. If Power is to miss an extended amount of time, the Sabres will need to step it up with one of their best offensive defensemen on injured reserve.