Sabres activate key defenseman off injured reserve

The Sabres activated defenseman Owen Power from injured reserve ahead of Sunday’s game against the Hurricanes, according to the NHL’s media portal. Power is on the ice for pregame warmups and projects to draw into the lineup, Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald reports.

Power joins 35-year-old Erik Johnson as Buffalo defenders returning from absences. Johnson missed the Sabres’ Thursday game against Columbus with an illness, while Power missed the Sabres’ last six games after sustaining a hand injury during practice on Feb. 12.

The 2021 first-overall pick had played in all 51 games before the injury, scoring twice and adding 16 assists for 18 points. He has a +3 rating and is averaging 22:28 per game, slightly down from last season’s marks that earned him third place in Calder Trophy voting behind Kraken center Matthew Beniers and Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner.

Power will replace rookie Ryan Johnson in the lineup against Carolina and will skate on a pairing with the more experienced Johnson against Carolina, the team said. AHL call-up Kale Clague will also be scratched after playing in the Sabres’ last two games.

The 21-year-old Power is in the final season of his entry-level contract with a cap hit of $916.7K. Sabres GM Kevyn Adams signed him to a seven-year, $58.45M extension ($8.35M AAV) in October, keeping him in Buffalo through 2031. The Sabres had one open roster spot, so no corresponding transaction is necessary to take Power off IR.

Buffalo is 6-4-0 in their last 10 games and went 4-2-0 in Power’s absence, although they’ll need a hotter streak than that to catapult themselves back into the playoff conversation. They’re 12 points back of the Red Wings for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference and have just a 4.8% chance of making the playoffs, per MoneyPuck.

Goal scoring has been an unexpected issue for the Sabres, whose offense ranks 23rd in the league. A dip in offensive production from Power in his sophomore year hasn’t helped matters, although he’s improved his shot-attempt suppression numbers significantly from his rookie year. His 52.0 CF% at even strength ranks third among Sabres defensemen behind Ryan Johnson and Rasmus Dahlin.