The problem is that Power is a great prospect, but he just doesn't have the same level of hype and aura that other 1st overalls did at the same age. However, he's in a draft which clearly has nobody at the moment first overall and that could work into his favour. That just isn't on him though either, anybody who will go 1st overall in this draft would not be going first overall in any of the five previous drafts at least.
LD Owen Power - Univ. of Michigan, NCAA (2021 Draft)
- Thread starter MasterMatt25
- Start date
-
Xenforo Cloud is doing server maintenance Thurdsay 13th at 9 AM GMT. Downtime is to be expected during the process. Server changes were implemented recently to cope with the traffic surge last week. This seems to be affecting the user login, so please anyone experiencing this, log out and clear the browser cache. We expect to have this issue solved once the maintenance is complete.
Well, not at this stage, anyway. Someone may emerge as a consensus 1OA pick at some point, though that may also be very difficult given lack of exposure this season due to COVID. That said, years from now we may look back on the 2021 draft and see that there were some truly elite players selected who would have been worthy 1OA picks, in hindsight. That happens in many drafts, but is even more likely to happen in this one for obvious reasons.
Ed Ned and Leddy
Brokering the Bally Sports + Corncob TV Merger
As someone who has been watching Michigan this year, I like Power but I do have some concerns after watching the first handful of games.
He's certainly pretty raw. In his own zone, his reactions and footwork sometimes leave him looking a bit suspect out of possession. That, however, I'm more confident that he will grow past. His gap control is generally good, he obviously has a good reach, he skates will in four directions, etc.
What concerns me a bit more is that I'm not sure I see a dynamic enough offensive talent to justify some of the hype. I think he has good vision and makes hard, accurate passes in both the neutral zone and the offensive zone. That said, I haven't seen a consistent tendency to get strong shots on net or make really quick, incisive decisions to set up goals on a frequent basis. Again, I understand it's a small sample size, he's adjusting to NCAA hockey, etc. I'm not questioning that Power is a very good prospect, but I am trying to make sense of the Hughes/Power/Clarke/Lambos/Edvinsson conundrum this draft.
Right now, if I'm picking #1 and betting solely on a defenseman with excellent offensive upside, I probably take a swing on Clarke or Hughes. If I just want to make the safest bet on a top 4 dman who can play 20+ minutes a night in pretty much all situations, I probably go Lambos. I honestly haven't seen enough of Edvinsson to say much there. Power is somewhere in the middle for me. As the year goes on, I'm hoping to see either a bit more polish in his defensive zone work, a bit more flash/production offensively, or ideally both to have him #1 on my board.
He's certainly pretty raw. In his own zone, his reactions and footwork sometimes leave him looking a bit suspect out of possession. That, however, I'm more confident that he will grow past. His gap control is generally good, he obviously has a good reach, he skates will in four directions, etc.
What concerns me a bit more is that I'm not sure I see a dynamic enough offensive talent to justify some of the hype. I think he has good vision and makes hard, accurate passes in both the neutral zone and the offensive zone. That said, I haven't seen a consistent tendency to get strong shots on net or make really quick, incisive decisions to set up goals on a frequent basis. Again, I understand it's a small sample size, he's adjusting to NCAA hockey, etc. I'm not questioning that Power is a very good prospect, but I am trying to make sense of the Hughes/Power/Clarke/Lambos/Edvinsson conundrum this draft.
Right now, if I'm picking #1 and betting solely on a defenseman with excellent offensive upside, I probably take a swing on Clarke or Hughes. If I just want to make the safest bet on a top 4 dman who can play 20+ minutes a night in pretty much all situations, I probably go Lambos. I honestly haven't seen enough of Edvinsson to say much there. Power is somewhere in the middle for me. As the year goes on, I'm hoping to see either a bit more polish in his defensive zone work, a bit more flash/production offensively, or ideally both to have him #1 on my board.
Pavel Buchnevich
"Pavel Buchnevich The Fake"
Power will be picked higher based on his theoretical potential. Maybe he has it, and maybe he doesn't, but a 6'6 defenseman who can skate and is pretty good in all parts of the game is going to get tagged with having untapped potential.
I tend to believe that Power is a player whose hockey skills are pretty good, but not elite. I believe he does have untapped potential, and he'll get better defensively, offensively, skating, his physical play once he grows into his frame more and more. He has good hands and makes good decisions offensively. As he becomes more comfortable with the level of play, he'll take more offensive risks and as he gets stronger, his shooting power will become better. Defensively, he's not very physical, as has already been mentioned. Once he gets to his eventual prime playing weight, he'll be better able to take advantage of his size and reach. He'll be more effective in winning puck battles in the corners and better battling in front of the net.
Is he the most exciting player? Probably not, but neither is someone like Parayko. Neither is Ekblad. Neither is Jones. Neither is Pietrangelo. And even players like Hedman and Pronger that Power is compared to were not the most purely exciting or purely talented defensemen of their generation, but being 6'6 with good hockey sense and skating does matter. It will give you an advantage.
I tend to believe that Power is a player whose hockey skills are pretty good, but not elite. I believe he does have untapped potential, and he'll get better defensively, offensively, skating, his physical play once he grows into his frame more and more. He has good hands and makes good decisions offensively. As he becomes more comfortable with the level of play, he'll take more offensive risks and as he gets stronger, his shooting power will become better. Defensively, he's not very physical, as has already been mentioned. Once he gets to his eventual prime playing weight, he'll be better able to take advantage of his size and reach. He'll be more effective in winning puck battles in the corners and better battling in front of the net.
Is he the most exciting player? Probably not, but neither is someone like Parayko. Neither is Ekblad. Neither is Jones. Neither is Pietrangelo. And even players like Hedman and Pronger that Power is compared to were not the most purely exciting or purely talented defensemen of their generation, but being 6'6 with good hockey sense and skating does matter. It will give you an advantage.
I think you've pretty much nailed it. Similar in a sense to Seider, because of his size and skating, Power's floor is quite high. At worse he becomes a towering defenseman who can use his reach and positioning to anchor a team's defense. And if Power reaches his ceiling, you've got the next Pronger. Taking someone like Clarke over Power comes with arguably more risk without the same upside.
He plays nothing like Pronger so that's not happening
I merely used Pronger as an example of another 6'6 defenseman who controlled the game at both ends of the ice with his size, physicality, reach, gap control, active stick, strong skating, and offensive proficiency. There certainly is potential for Power to become as dominating a player as Pronger, even if he doesn't play like him right now. I'd actually argue that as an 18-year old, Pronger didn't play like he eventually did in his prime.
Power is missing that physicality element that Pronger had, Hedman would probably be a closer comparable in terms of skill set and potential.
Well, no player is exactly like any other player, so we are splitting hairs here. You can say he is more like Hedman, and I'd argue he doesn't have Hedman's offensive instincts/upside. I can say he is more like Pronger, and you can say he doesn't have Pronger's physicality. My point is that his ceiling is that of a 6'6" two-way dman in the vein of someone like Pronger or Hedman (for example purposes only).
I think Werenski is wildly overrated in general and certainly not *low-key great*. I would be disappointed if Power didn't end up better, I think the kid is the #1 pick as it stands, his ceiling is certainly greater than Werenski.
Rabid Ranger
2 is better than one
You're certainly entitled to that opinion. I don't share it and I think many NHL types don't either.
I personally think Werenski was better well rounded, his offensive instincts and skill set is on an entirely higher level than Power. Power doesn’t have elite puck skills or shooting ability, he’s more of a two way D with good skating and mobility, and the ability to get up and join the rush well. He’s a good passer too but I don’t think his play making is elite or anything.
ORRFForever
Registered User
- Oct 29, 2018
- 21,043
- 12,199
LeafChief
Matthew Knies Enthusiast
It's sad that there won't be fans in the stands this year because this Michigan team is f***ing sick.
I just don’t see any real similarities between the two besides their both D and played at Michigan. They play nothing alike imo. I know the comparison was impact at Michigan but I think Cam York is more similar to werenski in play style, it I had to choose someone on the current roster.
ORRFForever
Registered User
- Oct 29, 2018
- 21,043
- 12,199
Web In Front
Registered User
- Feb 1, 2020
- 386
- 702
If he can be a bigger Ryan McDonagh that's a valuable player and possibly worth taking 1st overall in a draft like this.
I personally think his hockey sense is excellent and that's what sets him apart. It allows him to play a really efficient game. That's what makes him similar to Pronger along with the size and how he moves around the ice, even though he is not physical at all. I think he has a lot of physical development left still, and the intelligence will really be amplified as he gets faster and stronger.
sorry for the misinterpretation. I honestly feel Werenski played/plays with a bit more jam and physicality. But they’re both quality players, I just think Power ultimately tops out as a second pairing DI meant the quality of the player and not the style.
ORRFForever
Registered User
- Oct 29, 2018
- 21,043
- 12,199
ORRFForever
Registered User
- Oct 29, 2018
- 21,043
- 12,199
Just how I see it, I could be way off and I hope that’s the case for Canada’s sake and Owens sake. We need a solid wave of young defenders to come up because it’s an area of weakness I feel.
ORRFForever
Registered User
- Oct 29, 2018
- 21,043
- 12,199
For sure, plus there are always players that come out of nowhere and become mainstays. Just need to win a gold medal and those players will be cement locks until they age out lol
ORRFForever
Registered User
- Oct 29, 2018
- 21,043
- 12,199
We produce so many players, it's only a matter of time. Not sure why we've had such a lull in D-Men and goalies.
