Rasmus Dahlin Misses Montreal With an Upper-Body Injury, and Owen Power Inherits the Sabres Blue Line

Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin will miss Tuesday's game against the Montreal Canadiens with an upper-body injury. Dahlin left Monday's 5-3 win over the Florida Panthers in the second period, and coach Lindy Ruff said he was hurt following through on a shot. Ruff listed him as day-to-day, but Dahlin did not travel with the team to Montreal for the second half of the back-to-back.

The Sabres have not described the injury beyond upper-body or given a timeline. For fantasy managers, Dahlin is one of the most valuable defensemen in the game, and his absence reshapes Buffalo's power play immediately.

What happened

Dahlin was quarterbacking Buffalo's power play when he went down. On the play in question he dropped toward one knee to fire a shot and appeared to hurt himself on the follow-through. He did not return. The Sabres held on for the win, closing a homestand on a positive note, but lost their most important skater in the process.

Some coverage has pointed out that Dahlin has dealt with back trouble at various points in his career. The team has not connected Monday's injury to any previous issue, and that remains speculation until Buffalo says more.

The status board

What is confirmed and what is not, as of Tuesday morning:

Puck drop in Montreal is 6:30 p.m. ET at the Bell Centre.

Owen Power's opportunity

The obvious beneficiary is Owen Power. Pregame previews project Power to take on additional responsibility, and with Dahlin out he is the natural choice to run the top power-play unit from the point. Power's power-play production has been capped by the simple fact that Dahlin owns the top unit. Even a short-term promotion changes that.

For fantasy, Power is the add if he is available in your league. Defensemen who quarterback a top power-play unit see significant jumps in points and shots on goal, and Buffalo has enough skill up front to make that role productive. If Dahlin misses more than a game or two, Power should be rostered in most 12-team formats.

Buffalo's other blueliners, including Mattias Samuelsson and Zach Metsa, gain minutes but not much fantasy value; their roles are defense-first.

The forward ripple

Dahlin's absence also hurts Buffalo's forwards. His puck movement drives zone entries and the power play, and the forwards on the top unit lose their best distributor. Pregame projections listed Josh Doan, Ryan McLeod, Josh Norris and Olen Zellweger among the power-play options, which shows how much Buffalo will be reshuffling.

Expect a small downgrade for Sabres forwards on the power play while Dahlin is out, especially in assist-heavy formats. The effect is real but modest; Buffalo's top forwards should still be started.

Why Dahlin matters so much

It is hard to overstate how central Dahlin is to Buffalo. He plays heavy minutes, runs the top power play, and drives the transition game that turns defensive stops into offense. When he is on the ice, the Sabres can play the up-tempo style Ruff wants. Without him, the puck spends more time in Buffalo's zone and less on the sticks of its skilled forwards.

That is why even a one- or two-game absence is meaningful. Buffalo is trying to build early-season momentum after closing the homestand with a win, and the schedule does not slow down. A back-to-back on the road against a Montreal team that is favored at home is a tough spot without its captain, and every game in October counts in a crowded Eastern Conference playoff race.

Florida's side of the game

The Panthers lost more than the game on Monday. Goaltender Jacob Markstrom was pulled after he felt something tighten, adding a goaltending question to a Florida team already missing Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand. Fantasy managers rostering Florida goalies should watch Tuesday's injury updates closely, since a Markstrom absence would shift the workload and change Florida's streaming math.

Betting angle

Montreal was already favored at home for Tuesday's rematch, and Dahlin's absence adds to that, especially on the second night of a back-to-back for Buffalo. The Sabres' defense corps without its captain is thinner on puck movement, and road teams on the back end of a back-to-back tend to give up more shots.

For the model's view on Tuesday's game, see the daily picks page at /blog/nhl-picks-2026-10-13 and game probabilities at NHL predictions.

What to do in your league

Dahlin managers: Hold. A day-to-day designation with no IR placement points to a short absence, though the lack of detail is a mild concern. Move him to an IR slot if your league allows it for day-to-day players.

Add: Owen Power, especially in leagues that count power-play points or shots.

Monitor: Buffalo's next update after the Montreal game. If Dahlin goes to injured reserve, Power becomes a must-roster defenseman for the duration.

Florida goalies: Watch Markstrom's status before setting lineups for the Panthers' next start.