Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff was asked on a Q&A how he’d fix the Buffalo Sabres. Here’s what he had to say:
“…I’m going to start with this. I think you’ve got to trade one of either Owen Power or Rasmus Dahlin.” He continued, “…Someone will provide you really good value for one of these players… And I’m not saying they’re scapegoats or anything like that, but there’s been so much talk about Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn and Bowen Byram. Maybe it needs to be bigger than just talking about your third and fourth defenseman or third-line players or a top-end center and Dylan Cozens.”
Why Trading Power or Dahlin Is a Good Idea
You might be wondering why on earth trading two first-overall picks is a good idea. Well, with how the season has gone and the organization is leaning towards another failed rebuild, it might be necessary. Like Seravalli said himself, teams could provide some serious value for one of those two players, plus it gives you more cap space to sign Byram to a long-term contract.
I’d lean toward moving Power and trade him based on his potential. He’s on the same linear development curve that Dahlin was on in his third season. Power has serious potential to be a team’s number one defenseman and if he were to get moved to a contending organization, he could end up developing faster than if he were to stay on the Sabres.
Trading either Power or Dahlin would one hundred percent kick-start another Sabres rebuild. Sabres fans definitely do not want to hear those words, but with how the current team is playing, it genuinely might be necessary. From interacting with some Sabres fans, they would much rather trade Cozens, Quinn, or Byram, but outside of Byram, realistically, how much value do they give you on the trade market?
Why Trading Power or Dahlin Is Not a Good Idea
Maybe some would be worried trading either Power or Dahlin would turn into another Sam Reinhart or Jack Eichel situation where the second you trade one of them, they become the best versions of themselves and possibly win a Stanley Cup. But that’s one of the multiple risks you face with trading players of their caliber.
Related: Revisiting Sabres’ Jack Eichel Trade
Dahlin is already arguably a top 5-10 defenseman in the NHL and Power could end up being a top puck-moving defenseman if his development stays on course. The Sabres having these two players alone on the blueline helps the team night in and night out. The only issue is finding a suitable partner for Power. Dahlin has Byram as a partner at the moment which has tremendously helped him (let’s see what happens with Byram within the next five to six months).
If either of these two players gets on the right team, they will turn into truly elite defensemen. Especially Dahlin, who is already a game-changer for the Sabres. We saw the Sabres lose six straight games towards the end of their 13-game losing streak without Dahlin as he missed some time due to back spasms. The second he was inserted back into the lineup, the team won three straight games. He had seven assists in those three games. Also, since he has been back in the lineup, the Sabres’ power play is six for their last 12 attempts.
Another thing that needs to be considered is Power was signed to a seven-year contract extension in September of 2023 and Dahlin was just named captain before the season started. So, unless the team finds a new general manager who really wants to move on from either player, I do not see the Sabres trading them any time soon.
Trading 22-year-old (Power) and 24-year-old (Dahlin) franchise defensemen could be a franchise-altering move. I do not suggest trading either one of them unless the team goes into a free fall in 2025.
But what do you think? Would the Sabres be making the right move by trading Power or Dahlin?
