Player Discussion Owen Power, D (1st overall, 2021) Calder Finalist

[My Cozen Dylan]

The guy is clueless. I really don't think there's a player on this team I enjoy watching less when he has the puck. You can see how slow his processing speed is, and he still manages to routinely make the wrong decision.

I hope I look back on this in 2 or 3 years and look stupid. But I'd ship him out while maybe other GMs still think he was worth the #1 pick.

 

[hizzoner]

I do get nervous when Power has the puck. I do hope he learns to use his size better also.

 

[Zman5778]

The guy is clueless. I really don't think there's a player on this team I enjoy watching less when he has the puck. You can see how slow his processing speed is, and he still manages to routinely make the wrong decision.

I hope I look back on this in 2 or 3 years and look stupid. But I'd ship him out while maybe other GMs still think he was worth the #1 pick.

The timing for this just seems......odd. Dude just stood up for Dahlin and more than held his own in today's 2nd period when the bodies were flying.

I think over the last 5 games or so he's been quite solid. He's actually using his size to his advantage from a positional POV. He's still getting his man strength, but he's learning his positioning.

 

[My Cozen Dylan]

The timing for this just seems......odd. Dude just stood up for Dahlin and more than held his own in today's 2nd period when the bodies were flying.

I think over the last 5 games or so he's been quite solid. He's actually using his size to his advantage from a positional POV. He's still getting his man strength, but he's learning his positioning.

I'm not seeing this at all, and I've been hyper focused on him because I want him to be good. But literally every time he has the puck, he takes forever to decide what to do with it and still ends up shooting it right into a leg, passing it to the other team, or just gets out muscled before he can even get rid of it.

 

[Chainshot]

Appreciate that he initiated on Miller post-hit today. They need more of that. There have been a few baby steps in the last 2 weeks where he's initiated contact a bit more often where needed - again, don't need him to be a killer, just to play the body smartly and then move the puck cleanly or make the right decision.

 

[blingo22]

Appreciate that he initiated on Miller post-hit today. They need more of that. There have been a few baby steps in the last 2 weeks where he's initiated contact a bit more often where needed - again, don't need him to be a killer, just to play the body smartly and then move the puck cleanly or make the right decision.

Yep, exactly.

The rush that led to the Peterka goal the other day was also really nice, I want to see more of that.

 

[Butt Ox]

Anecdote - feel free to prune. My wife gifted me nhl24 on Christmas. I've played thru the be a pro season to run concurrently with the Sabres season. Owen Power has scored an own goal in every single game of the season so far. It's fascinating that Power is scripted to be the fall guy when an opposition goal needs to be magicked up.

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

deleted

 

[Ben Grimm]

I'm a Power/MI fan but he's worth half his new contract. He has 2 goals, 20 hits, and is not a top 400 player.

 

[MOGlLNY]

I'm a Power/MI fan but he's worth half his new contract. He has 2 goals, 20 hits, and is not a top 400 player.

Thanks

 

[Old Navy Goat]

I'm a Power/MI fan but he's worth half his new contract. He has 2 goals, 20 hits, and is not a top 400 player.

Good thing he's still getting his rookie salary

 

[Jage]

Good thing he's still getting his rookie salary

He is worth half that, thats what the man said.

Oh.. new contract. Nevermind

 

[TageGod]

Bet on future performance. Sophomore year for a D means mostly nothing. Most don't really take off for years.

 

[brian_griffin]

Bet on future performance. Sophomore year for a D means mostly nothing. Most don't really take off for years.

Quoting you just for continuity...

I hope he does take off at some point. He's still on the runway and not even fueled up.

I know it was a weak draft year in 2021, and D-men take a while to develop, but who was the last #1OA who was this underwhelming at age 21 and 2 full years into his NHL career? Nail the Fail Yakupov? Patrik Stefan? Owen Power?

In a 2021 redraft today he'd likely be deeper than 5th

 

[Zach716]

Noticed 3 failed attempts getting it out of the zone in the span of 20 seconds tonight since he was afraid of getting even a slight scratch. Not great.

 

[The Blunder Years]

I’ve been on the fence about Power since he started playing here. There was a good stretch of games the past few months where he routinely impressed me. But his play style is not very inspiring. He’s huge but not physical. Good skater but doesn’t really play with pace. Weak shot. Good passer. That is about It.

He really is the weirdest first overall pick outside of Erik Johnson, at least since I’ve been watching hockey. No excitement to him what so ever. I just wish he did more on the ice. It’s like he just goes through the motions and plays the safest version of hockey you possibly can. I think he’ll be a fine defenseman for a long time but I just wish he did some cool stuff once in awhile.

 

[ForsbergMoDo21]

Noticed 3 failed attempts getting it out of the zone in the span of 20 seconds tonight since he was afraid of getting even a slight scratch. Not great.

And it’s not like he has to be concerned about staying healthy for his mega-deal…

 

[Irie]

I know it was a weak draft year in 2021, and D-men take a while to develop, but who was the last #1OA who was this underwhelming at age 21 and 2 full years into his NHL career? Nail the Fail Yakupov? Patrik Stefan? Owen Power?

In a 2021 redraft today he'd likely be deeper than 5th

I think we may need some perspective. Every scout said there was no elite talent in the 2021 draft, but Power was a good prospect and still is a good prospect. Playing D in the NHL at 20/21 is a crazy accomplishment, and there aren't many young D who are relied on the way Granato relies on Power.

Looking back at the top ten from the draft, before the game against the ducks the other day Beniers was sitting at 10 goals and 28 points on the season playing top six minutes.

Edvinsson, Clarke, Guenther and Boucher have spent most of the season in the minors. Johnson has been demoted to the minors after an underwhelming first half. Eklund is a serious problem on the defensive side of the ice, and while Hughes stats look good, he's being ridiculously sheltered 70% O-zone starts and is being fed huge PP time and no PK duty. Over 50% of his points have come on that very talented 11th ranked devils top PP unit.

The top player this year from the top ten was a guy that most had ranked outside the top ten in McTavish.

Power will be fine, but like most young D, he's going to take time. Expecting him to be an elite defenseman before he turns 24 is probably setting oneself up for disappointment. (Yeah his contract is crappy, but that is not Powers fault, blame Adams for that).

The biggest take away from all of this should be that it is way too early to be talking re-draft for the 2021class. Most of these kids will be just fine in a couple of years, and I bet that when this class hits 24-25 years old, people will look back at the draft and be surprised at how stacked it actually was.

 

[Fjordy]

This guy definitely needs a different coach and coaching staff (including a good coach for defenders).

 

[brian_griffin]

I think we may need some perspective. Every scout said there was no elite talent in the 2021 draft, but Power was a good prospect and still is a good prospect. Playing D in the NHL at 20/21 is a crazy accomplishment, and there aren't many young D who are relied on the way Granato relies on Power.

Looking back at the top ten from the draft, before the game against the ducks the other day Beniers was sitting at 10 goals and 28 points on the season playing top six minutes.

Edvinsson, Clarke, Guenther and Boucher have spent most of the season in the minors. Johnson has been demoted to the minors after an underwhelming first half. Eklund is a serious problem on the defensive side of the ice, and while Hughes stats look good, he's being ridiculously sheltered 70% O-zone starts and is being fed huge PP time and no PK duty. Over 50% of his points have come on that very talented 11th ranked devils top PP unit.

The top player this year from the top ten was a guy that most had ranked outside the top ten in McTavish.

Power will be fine, but like most young D, he's going to take time. Expecting him to be an elite defenseman before he turns 24 is probably setting oneself up for disappointment. (Yeah his contract is crappy, but that is not Powers fault, blame Adams for that).

The biggest take away from all of this should be that it is way too early to be talking re-draft for the 2021class. Most of these kids will be just fine in a couple of years, and I bet that when this class hits 24-25 years old, people will look back at the draft and be surprised at how stacked it actually was.

Certainly agree with too early to pass summary judgement.

But, I've just not seen anything from Power to persuade me he is essential to Buffalo's future as a team, and future top-4 as a defensive unit.

But a tremendous amount of improvement is needed.

Consistency game to game
General d-zone awareness
Using his body position to impede/nudge/move opponents in the crease/down low.
Faster whole-ice assessment and
Better decisions with the puck when carrying out of his zone, especially when forechecked or passing angles can be cut off by an opponent in a couple strides.

It's the low or negligible rate of improvement which is disconcerting. I understand Michigan for his post-draft year, and understand circumstances / requirements to bypass the AHL. I am very concerned he does not and will not get the coaching required from the Sabres at the NHL level to improve his game. Relative to other Sabre teammates, if there is a specific investment (of money spent on coaching) for a single player, I believe trying to coach Power is where I'd invest.

I won't get into the contract, because that's a different topic as you (and others) note, but it will become relevant in a couple years if the rate of improvement doesn't pick up. I recognize the improvement will not be linear.

 

[Aladyyn]

Over the last 2 NHL seasons, Power is 10th among NHL D in 5on5 ice time and the Sabres have won those minutes by 25 goals. I don't think the ledge should be getting crowded at this point.

(Though I completely understand why people are frustrated with him)

 

[brian_griffin]

Over the last 2 NHL seasons, Power is 10th among NHL D in 5on5 ice time and the Sabres have won those minutes by 25 goals. I don't think the ledge should be getting crowded at this point.

(Though I completely understand why people are frustrated with him)

Interesting, and I am surprised. I also willingly defer to a good rebuttal. Can you share the list and/or highlights? i.e., a rough range of the total minutes #1-20 and the range of goal differential among the top10 and next 10.

 

[Aladyyn]

Interesting, and I am surprised. I also willingly defer to a good rebuttal. Can you share the list and/or highlights? i.e., a rough range of the total minutes #1-20 and the range of goal differential among the top10 and next 10.

The players within 200 minutes and +/- of goal differential of him are Doughty, Heiskanen, Slavin, Dobson. Now I don't really think this is a good way to compare them because Power's high-event nature makes his goal *share* worse than his raw differential, I am mostly using these numbers to illustrate that he's been playing a lot and the Sabres have done well with him on the ice.

 

[brian_griffin]

^^
That's an interesting table. I've looked at it and will come back to it.

Maybe the re-assessed take should be:
Given all the opportunities I/we see to improve his game, decisions, etc., he is, on paper, "holding his own". Which would mean if he does figure out some of the obvious deficiencies we see, he will indeed be a force the full length of the ice.

I hope that happens.

 

[LongWayDown37]

Its like everyone forgets what Hedman was like his first three seasons and all the hand wringing fans did over his mediocre play as a young d-man. Too many people expect Makar, who is allowed to play like a winger in CO.

Breathe. The guy has been legal drinking age for a few months.