Player Discussion Owen Power, LD (1st overall, 2021) Gentle Giant

[UnleashRasmus]

Yeah, big kid will soon come to help Dahlin.

Definitely, need to get that game in as soon as possible!

 

[Willgamesh]

I wish, would bring some much needed excitement.

 

[Chainshot]

Yeah, big kid will soon come to help Dahlin.

By soaking some of Dahlin's offensive zone minutes and getting initially sheltered against top competition? The issues with Dahlin's game are in his own zone. The issues with Power's game right now in college? Same thing.

 

[BuffaloGooner]

By soaking some of Dahlin's offensive zone minutes and getting initially sheltered against top competition? The issues with Dahlin's game are in his own zone. The issues with Power's game right now in college? Same thing.

I can see the “why can’t this large defenseman defend well” posts now

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

I can see the “why can’t this large defenseman defend well” posts now

The answer will be "because there's no one on the team he can play with who can teach him," because the team doesn't have a single defenseman who's solid at all in their own end.

 

[Chainshot]

I can see the “why can’t this large defenseman defend well” posts now

I can already hear Rivet complaining about it. It's clear he's never watched the guy outside of maybe the WJC game.

 

[Zman5778]

because the team doesn't have a single defenseman who's solid at all in their own end.

Outside of a game here and there, Pysyk would disagree with you.

 

[Chainshot]

The answer will be "because there's no one on the team he can play with who can teach him," because the team doesn't have a single defenseman who's solid at all in their own end.

I would argue that Pysyk is good in his own end and he might be a good partner for Power in the near-term.

 

[Fjordy]

By soaking some of Dahlin's offensive zone minutes and getting initially sheltered against top competition? The issues with Dahlin's game are in his own zone. The issues with Power's game right now in college? Same thing.

I can see the “why can’t this large defenseman defend well” posts now

The answer will be "because there's no one on the team he can play with who can teach him," because the team doesn't have a single defenseman who's solid at all in their own end.

Do not read nonsense from any marginal trolls. Dahlin's defense is at least average, and he improved it after the first 15-20 games of the season (yes, we remember there was Will Butcher in the first pair). He defends better than most offensive D in the league, blocks more shots than he used to, and plays physically. I don't think it needs to be mentioned his pass, vision, breakouts and creativity. He is 21 and continues to improve every day.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

I would argue that Pysyk is good in his own end and he might be a good partner for Power in the near-term.

Outside of a game here and there, Pysyk would disagree with you.

The guy was literally playing on the wing last year, and couldnt' even get a contract. He's not horrible, and he looks competent compared to other Sabres we've had here ove rthe last decade, but he's not the guy whose hands we should be placing the future of the franchise in. Power's development is one of the most importnat things the team needs to get right...I'm sorry but I don't think Psysyk is the guy to bring him along.

 

[Chainshot]

The guy was literally playing on the wing last year, and couldnt' even get a contract. He's not horrible, and he looks competent compared to other Sabres we've had here ove rthe last decade, but he's not the guy whose hands we should be placing the future of the franchise in. Power's development is one of the most importnat things the team needs to get right...I'm sorry but I don't think Psysyk is the guy to bring him along.

The other possible target for Power partner is Stecher based on how they meshed at the World's and it's not like he was considered great shakes.

(Also, Pysyk was on the wing at times in Florida, he played D last year in Dallas.)

 

[Fjordy]

The guy was literally playing on the wing last year, and couldnt' even get a contract. He's not horrible, and he looks competent compared to other Sabres we've had here ove rthe last decade, but he's not the guy whose hands we should be placing the future of the franchise in. Power's development is one of the most importnat things the team needs to get right...I'm sorry but I don't think Psysyk is the guy to bring him along.

But his metrics looks good, he plays 18 minutes a game and most often with the terrible Robert Hagg. I think Pysyk will be a good mentor for Power, of course, we could find better ones, but we will also need a partner for Dahlin if Joki continues to look not very good and their pairing with Rasmus is incompatible.

 

[Dirty Dog]

I’d love to pair pysyk with power for a year and find someone ideal to pair with Dahlin. Let joker and Samuelsson be a pair as well.

finding a great minutes-eating partner for dahlin is easier said then done though

Bryson gets the short end of the stick, but oh well

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

When it comes to Power's partner, and finding a steady RHD for the long term, I support going "full Murray" in this one, limited instance, and overpaying a bit to get the player we need. I'd even overpay more than a bit, but that's just me.

 

[Fjordy]

I’d love to pair pysyk with power for a year and find someone ideal to pair with Dahlin. Let joker and Samuelsson be a pair as well.

finding a great minutes-eating partner for dahlin is easier said then done though

Bryson gets the short end of the stick, but oh well

I don't think it's that hard, seriously. They have a good analytics department and assets for top 4 RD.

Connor Murphy would be my number one target. Chicago is rumored to have almost any player available for trade. Murphy has experience, decent defensive play, term and plays the physical game. Chicago doesn't have a first this year and would probably like to get one. Maybe 2nd + one of our young defenders in Bryson/Johnson/Laaksonen was enough, who knows.

There is Petry and Savard in Montreal, but there is already more risk here. Petry is generally a two-sided defender, but his offensive play seems to be better than his defense. Savard, on the contrary, would always be fine in defense, but this season he looked bad, the work for analysts is the reason. It is unlikely that one of these players would cost a lot.

Los Angeles has huge RDs depth now and in the near future. Doughty looks like a monster again, they seem to really like Durzy and they probably want to keep him. They have Matt Roy and Sean Walker, Clarke will be in the game soon and there are 2-3 RD prospects on top of that. If I were Adams, I would kick tires on Matt Roy, he can also play decent defense and physical play. Also, LA has poor LD depth, and Ryan Johnson's father works for the Kings.

Other options:

Adam Larsson - he was always good in defense, despite the other disadvantages of his game, the problem with NMC and I don’t know if he would like to leave Seattle and if they would like to trade him.

Scott Mayfield or Damon Severson - the problem is in the contract, they will be UFA after next season, but if we consider only as players, then maybe they make sense.

Josh Manson - possibly the only top 4 RD in UFA that makes sense, but Ducks fans don't seem to be into it lately, it's also going to be hard to get him.


These are only the main options, but there are a dozen others, if you delve deeper.

 

[Chainshot]

When it comes to Power's partner, and finding a steady RHD for the long term, I support going "full Murray" in this one, limited instance, and overpaying a bit to get the player we need. I'd even overpay more than a bit, but that's just me.

By full Murray, you mean identify and land the player they want even if the price is high? Nothing wrong with trying to make it work.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

By full Murray, you mean identify and land the player they want even if the price is high? Nothing wrong with trying to make it work.

Yes - it’s time for a move like that if that’s what it takes to get our RHD. I support the patient approach but you can’t draft and develop every single role that needs to be filled.

 

[Irie]

The answer will be "because there's no one on the team he can play with who can teach him," because the team doesn't have a single defenseman who's solid at all in their own end.

This is a very important point and has been my complaint for years.

You don't tank hard only to draft first overall and then rush a defensive prospect into the league without solid vet mentoring or you will ruin them.

Most HoF defensmen came into situations where they had solid mentoring, and a lot of them didn't come into the league until they were 21 or 22.

Bourque played with Park. Chelios with Robinson. Lidstrom with Konstantinov and then Coffey. Pronger struggled coming into the league at 20 until he was traded and paired with MacInnis.

Dahlin at 18 coming from Europe had who? Hunwick? Tennyson? Scandella?

Would be great to see Adams overpay for the right target on the blueline this offseason. Wonder if Lindholm would come with Dahlin, Olofson, and Asplund here...

 

[Fjordy]

This is a very important point and has been my complaint for years.

You don't tank hard only to draft first overall and then rush a defensive prospect into the league without solid vet mentoring or you will ruin them.

Most HoF defensmen came into situations where they had solid mentoring, and a lot of them didn't come into the league until they were 21 or 22.

Bourque played with Park. Chelios with Robinson. Lidstrom with Konstantinov and then Coffey. Pronger struggled coming into the league at 20 until he was traded and paired with MacInnis.

Dahlin at 18 coming from Europe had who? Hunwick? Tennyson? Scandella?

Would be great to see Adams overpay for the right target on the blueline this offseason. Wonder if Lindholm would come with Dahlin, Olofson, and Asplund here...

But Lindholm LD, this is one of the problems, the second of course is that he will probably have a dozen more interesting options than Buffalo.

 

[Irie]

Connor Murphy would be my number one target. Chicago is rumored to have almost any player available for trade. Murphy has experience, decent defensive play, term and plays the physical game. Chicago doesn't have a first this year and would probably like to get one. Maybe 2nd + one of our young defenders in Bryson/Johnson/Laaksonen was enough, who knows.

I have seen a lot of love for Connor Murphy on these boards as an option lately, and I personally don't get it.

I know his analytics are ok, but i watch him play and he gets the puck in his own zone under pressure, never looks up, and just fires it up off the boards trying to clear, resulting in a turn over time and time again.

Because they don't count clears as turnovers, his stats are so much better than what his actual play is imo.

I guess he is alright strictly as a defender, but I am not sure he would even be an improvement on Pysyk, who i think has played decent in his role here. Would much rather see Admas re-sign him and save the assets.

 

[Fjordy]

I have seen a lot of love for Connor Murphy on these boards as an option lately, and I personally don't get it.

I know his analytics are ok, but i watch him play and he gets the puck in his own zone under pressure, never looks up, and just fires it up off the boards trying to clear, resulting in a turn over time and time again.

Because they don't count clears as turnovers, his stats are so much better than what his actual play is imo.

I guess he is alright strictly as a defender, but I am not sure he would even be an improvement on Pysyk, who i think has played decent in his role here. Would much rather see Admas re-sign him and save the assets.

I also watched some of Murphy's games, but we need to understand what we need? An experienced top 4 RD who regularly plays heavy minutes, knows how to play defensively and is physical. If we're looking for a player to pair with Dahlin then Murphy is a good fit and he also seems like a great guy in the dressing room. His main task will be to make Dahlin's life as easy as possible. I see in almost every game how Jokiharju is not suitable to play with Dahlin, he is not very good in defense lately, he is not physical, he also likes to control the puck, and it is very noticeable when our team is in the O-zone, Dahlin is waiting pas, but Joki himself tries to do something with the puck, and quite often not too successfully. Murphy is basically the opposite Joki, he'll probably run the puck on the boards sometimes, but other than that he'll just give the puck to Dahlin and be in charge of the defense.

You already said about the metrics, they are decent.

Again, there are Murphy alternatives if you don't like him very much or if Chicago wants too much for him. I'm willing to spend some futures on the top 4 RDs, but within reasonable limits.

 

[Irie]

But Lindholm LD, this is one of the problems, the second of course is that he will probably have a dozen more interesting options than Buffalo.

ah crap. Senior moment.

Disregard the Lindholm comment, but am I the only one that felt that Sammuelsson played better on the right side when paired with Bryson than he has on the left with Fitzgerald?

I get that some coaches don't like having a LHD playing the rightside, and I think that is for basic systems that swing the puck around the boards more than use movement and possesion, that may somewhat make sense, but I honestly think that it is overblown.

A lot of great LHD played on the right. Other than clearing, it is easier to actually play D in transition and you are open to the play for shooting and passing when set up in the zone.

 

[tsujimoto74]

I also watched some of Murphy's games, but we need to understand what we need? An experienced top 4 RD who regularly plays heavy minutes, knows how to play defensively and is physical. If we're looking for a player to pair with Dahlin then Murphy is a good fit and he also seems like a great guy in the dressing room. His main task will be to make Dahlin's life as easy as possible. I see in almost every game how Jokiharju is not suitable to play with Dahlin, he is not very good in defense lately, he is not physical, he also likes to control the puck, and it is very noticeable when our team is in the O-zone, Dahlin is waiting pas, but Joki himself tries to do something with the puck, and quite often not too successfully. Murphy is basically the opposite Joki, he'll probably run the puck on the boards sometimes, but other than that he'll just give the puck to Dahlin and be in charge of the defense.

You already said about the metrics, they are decent.

Again, there are Murphy alternatives if you don't like him very much or if Chicago wants too much for him. I'm willing to spend some futures on the top 4 RDs, but within reasonable limits.

Yeah, I think Murphy would be a great target for what we need. I'd take two of him if we could get it (one for Dahlin and one for Power).

 

[Irie]

I also watched some of Murphy's games, but we need to understand what we need? An experienced top 4 RD who regularly plays heavy minutes, knows how to play defensively and is physical. If we're looking for a player to pair with Dahlin then Murphy is a good fit and he also seems like a great guy in the dressing room. His main task will be to make Dahlin's life as easy as possible. I see in almost every game how Jokiharju is not suitable to play with Dahlin, he is not very good in defense lately, he is not physical, he also likes to control the puck, and it is very noticeable when our team is in the O-zone, Dahlin is waiting pas, but Joki himself tries to do something with the puck, and quite often not too successfully. Murphy is basically the opposite Joki, he'll probably run the puck on the boards sometimes, but other than that he'll just give the puck to Dahlin and be in charge of the defense.

You already said about the metrics, they are decent.

Again, there are Murphy alternatives if you don't like him very much or if Chicago wants too much for him. I'm willing to spend some futures on the top 4 RDs, but within reasonable limits.

Some good points, and he probably would help on the defensive side, but we are ultimately talking about defensive upgrades on a very young Jokiharju, Will Butcher and Colin Miller. So it isn't like the bar has been set very high.

My concerns with Murphy is that he has never been a very heads-up puck mover. I think a two-way defender with some Defensive ability would compliment Dahlin much better than a guy who's main focus is clear the puck.

I am afraid a Murphy-Dahlin pairing may neuter a big part of Dahlin's game if he doesn't have a partner that can react and keep up with him offensively.

 

[Fjordy]

ah crap. Senior moment.

Disregard the Lindholm comment, but am I the only one that felt that Sammuelsson played better on the right side when paired with Bryson than he has on the left with Fitzgerald?

I get that some coaches don't like having a LHD playing the rightside, and I think that is for basic systems that swing the puck around the boards more than use movement and possesion, that may somewhat make sense, but I honestly think that it is overblown.

A lot of great LHD played on the right. Other than clearing, it is easier to actually play D in transition and you are open to the play for shooting and passing when set up in the zone.

I probably just didn't notice because I didn't pay attention, but we also know that Dahlin also has experience playing RD, but I think Granato doesn't want him to play RD for some reason that we don't know about. There are guys in the league like Weegar and Brodie who play on the first pair but play on the other side. But I want to emphasize that we need not just a top 4 RD who will play with Dahlin, I think we need an experienced player who has been in the NHL for many years, who knows how to play those 20 minutes per game in difficult situations. Neither Jokiharyu, nor even Samuelsson, has yet been related to this. They have to learn and progress and maybe in the future they will become such players.