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Ostlund’s promotion to the top power play unit could be the spark it needs

by Chad DeDominicis - 0

After making a significant impact in the Buffalo Sabres winning Game 3, Noah Ostlund found himself promoted to the top power play unit. The team practiced today in Boston ahead of Game 4 tomorrow afternoon, and Ostlund replaced Jack Quinn in that group.

After practice, when asked about it, Lindy Ruff said his playmaking was a reason for the change.

I agree with the approach. The Sabres power play is currently riding a 0-for-36 stretch with no signs of improvement. The top unit has looked worse than the second for a while now. A change was well overdue in that regard.

Ostlund’s Skillset

I’m by no means prepared to spin you a story on Ostlund being a savior for the power play. I feel a lot of the issues with it are built around poor strategy and not so much a player personnel issue. At the same time, some of the players on this special teams unit are not helping it improve.

During the regular season, among players who saw at least 50 minutes on the power play, Ostlund finished ranked near the top of the team in production rates. He was third in goals per hour, fifth in primary assists per hour, fourth in assists per hour, and third in points per hour.

I see this change as a win because the Swedish native would add a dual-threat dynamic to the top power play. As Ruff indicated, his passing and vision are excellent tools for the power play. He’s not afraid to attempt passes in tight windows and can feel where his teammates are on the ice.

He has shown this at all levels of play throughout his career. From his time in Sweden, performance in the World Juniors against his peers, and in the AHL.

While that may be his primary skill set with the man advantage, he can also be a dangerous shooter. He can stand on the face-off dot opposite Tage Thompson and score from that spot on the ice if necessary.

He can line up below the goal line and isn’t afraid to attack the net. Ostlund has the talent to make plays in tight on a goaltender.

If you need him to read a play and find the soft spot in the offensive zone to get off his shot, he can do that, too.

The 22-year-old isn’t the type of player who is going to stand in one spot on the ice. The top unit needs someone who will rotate around the offensive zone and give the opponent different looks. Force them to always think about where other players are behind them with Ostlund’s vision.

It’s easy to defend the Sabres current structure of a stagnant, low-movement approach. The Bruins’ defenders know where everyone is most of the time and who the Sabres are trying to get the puck to. It’ll be important for Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin to utilize Ostlund. Those two are the primary puck handlers on the top power-play unit.

If they’re going to continue to play catch between the two of them, nothing will change. If they allow Ostlund the opportunity to make an impact, we could see the group break through with the man advantage.

Data: Hockey Stats
Photo Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

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