The Buffalo Sabres have spent much of the past decade picking in the NHL Draft's top 10, and often inside the top five, as the franchise has struggled mightily to turn the corner in an everlasting rebuild.
Yet, the organization usually hasn't been able to turn those highly touted prospects into NHL superstars, which is a hallmark reason it owns the longest playoff drought in league history. Defenseman Owen Power, the first overall pick in the 2021 draft, is the prime example.
Power is a decent player for the Sabres, a solid second-pair blueliner whose transition and offensive impacts typically outweigh his defensive weakness, but he's never come close to looking like the type of franchise-altering player a front office expects from a No. 1 choice.
Sean Gentille and Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic examined Power's struggles on Friday and concluded with a crushing statement about the Sabres' player development.
"Owen Power has not taken any meaningful steps. In fact, he might have regressed," the NHL analysts wrote. "Power is producing less (1.05 points per 60, down from 1.43) and putting up worse defensive results — the Sabres have been outscored 16-10 with him on the ice.
"Stagnation from an important young player in Buffalo? Shocking."
Power is far from alone when it comes to young Sabres players not living up to their full potential, though.
Buffalo Sabres have leaned on a draft-and-development strategy, so their inability to develop high-impact contributors is a massive problem
Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams conceded defeat pretty much the moment he took over the front office in June 2020. He's never shown confidence the organization could compete for the top available players on the NHL's trade and free-agent markets.
So, Adams and his staff went all-in on trying to build through the draft. It's an understandable approach, especially with team owner Terry Pegula moving to a more financially conscious baseline, but it hasn't delivered the desired results.
It's impossible to determine whether Buffalo is simply selecting the wrong prospects or if their handling of those young players once their in the organization significantly hampers their growth.
There are plenty of examples on the team's current NHL roster.
Jack Quinn was ticketed to become a future 30-goal scorer and that expectation was bolstered by a strong rookie campaign. He's scored just three goals in 20 appearances this season.
Peyton Krebs was acquired as a main piece of the Jack Eichel trade with the Vegas Golden Knights because of his playmaking ability. He's tallied only five points (no goals) in 20 contests and owns a minus-11 rating, the worst mark on the team.
Bowen Byram hasn't improved since arriving in a trade with the Colorado Avalanche. In fact, he may have regressed enough that it would be hard for Adams to trade him.
Even a player like Ryan Johnson, a Sabres 2019 first-round pick, hasn't taken any concrete steps toward earning a full-time NHL role after six years.
It extends beyond players who've appeared with the big club this season, too.
Konsta Helenius, Anton Wahlberg and Maxim Strbak, all early-round draft choices, simply don't look like future game-changers. All of them may eventually don the Blue and Gold, but they project more as middle-of-the-lineup assets.
Not every recent pick has underperformed. Zach Benson, the team's 2023 first-rounder, looks like a long-term top-six fixture, but injuries have even prevented him from truly taking off.
So yes, the results speak for themselves and it's fair to call out the Sabres' development of prospects because something isn't working during the path to the NHL.
Some organizations can overcome draft problems with blockbuster trades or high-dollar signings in free agency. Buffalo is not one of those franchises.
As a result, the developmental struggles loom large as the Sabres trying to find a way to avoid missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the 15th straight year.