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

[Zman5778]

I wouldn't be surprised if Luke Hughes fans are upset about which Wolverine is first team and which is second.

Owen Power named 1st team Big Ten.

Luke Hughes Hobey Baker finalist.


Makes perfect sense......................................................

 

[MarkusKetterer]

I'm really curious how Power stepping into the pro game is going to work out in the short term. There are so many people talking about his game in ways that clearly haven't seen him play that it reminds me of how some latched onto Mitts outlier performance at the U20's to fuel some fever-dream that he was somehow ready and would dominate. It's not that Power has failed to impress in the NCAA - he has, as well as at the WC's and the truncated U20's - it's that people have a fiction about him that they aren't going to be satisfied by how he actually plays the game.

And then there is the possibility that Power is a different sort of defenseman than Luke Hughes in terms of NHL production because they likely will be used differently. It's akin to the teeth-gnashing over the differences between Quinn Hughes and Rasmus Dahlin that still swirl around every now and then (though less and less as Dahlin has grown). I'm curious what the conversation is going to be like because I can see Luke landing with his brother and immediately moving the needle offensively for the Devils when he arrives.

I still say they sign Chara next off-season, barring retirement. This is absolutely a no-brainer decision, analytics be damned. That is a player that you absolutely want everybody to learn from.

 

[Chainshot]

Well, he has already played at WC and the Olympics with adult players, the NHL is of course a different level, but it is also unlikely that Granato will immediately let him play 20-22 minutes per game, rather he will get safe time and play a safe game, as he usually does. Even before the draft, I said that Luke Hughes would probably be a more productive player than Power, but Owen could possibly become a more versatile two-way D. Dahlin is just now turning into the type of player who will not be only offensive player, but will also be good on all zones of the ice.

Dahlin was at an Olympics and was playing dynamite hockey in one of the best men's leagues in the world prior to being drafted. My point remains that people are going to bitch about Power vs. Hughes and others will not understand that Power is big but not a masher in his method of playing defense - which for a cross-section of WNYers they will never understand.

 

[Fjordsen]

Dahlin was at an Olympics and was playing dynamite hockey in one of the best men's leagues in the world prior to being drafted. My point remains that people are going to bitch about Power vs. Hughes and others will not understand that Power is big but not a masher in his method of playing defense - which for a cross-section of WNYers they will never understand.

Well, Dahlin's development has suffered due to the bad situation in Buffalo, although he already seems experienced, but he is also only 21 years old. Power may not be the best player in D zone, but even a player like Ekblad didn't immediately become as good as he is now. Pietrangelo isn't a great defender either.

 

[Old Navy Goat]

Dahlin was at an Olympics and was playing dynamite hockey in one of the best men's leagues in the world prior to being drafted. My point remains that people are going to bitch about Power vs. Hughes and others will not understand that Power is big but not a masher in his method of playing defense - which for a cross-section of WNYers they will never understand.

He'll get the Bill Hajt, Henrik Tallinder treatment

 

[debaser66]

Can someone explain why he isn't a hobey baker finalist I haven't followed the overall league and I am not familiar with the rules.

 

[Chainshot]

Can someone explain why he isn't a hobey baker finalist I haven't followed the overall league and I am not familiar with the rules.

Hobey Baker Award - College Hockey, Inc.

collegehockeyinc.com

Three finalists are selected from an initial list of ten candidates by the 23-member Selection Committee and an additional round of online fan balloting to determine the Hobey Baker winner. Criteria for the award includes: displaying outstanding skills in all phases of the game, strength of character on and off the ice, sportsmanship and scholastic achievements.

So a little ballot box stuffing can go on. That said, Hughes was dynamic entertainment and could win this award.

 

[Jacob582]

Can someone explain why he isn't a hobey baker finalist I haven't followed the overall league and I am not familiar with the rules.

Chris Peters stated that he missed 8 games. Not sure why this wouldn't have been the case for his Big 10 honor.

 

[KiwiGriff]

I still say they sign Chara next off-season, barring retirement. This is absolutely a no-brainer decision, analytics be damned. That is a player that you absolutely want everybody to learn from.

I had been wondering if this might happen too. Huge defenseman who knows how to use his body to best effect. Would they have Chara playing top 4? I wouldn't have thought so, which means Chara and Power as third pairing? I'd be OK with that. Power would learn a lot without being thrown into the deep end being asked to hold up the defense. You'd also not be expecting Chara to either in his twilight years.

 

[Jacob582]

I still say they sign Chara next off-season, barring retirement. This is absolutely a no-brainer decision, analytics be damned. That is a player that you absolutely want everybody to learn from.

Why not this season? Have him mentor Power when he signs.

Butcher (%50) for Chara

 

[Djp]

Can someone explain why he isn't a hobey baker finalist I haven't followed the overall league and I am not familiar with the rules.

I thought it had to do with missed games for WJCcand Olympics.

 

[joshjull]

I had been wondering if this might happen too. Huge defenseman who knows how to use his body to best effect. Would they have Chara playing top 4? I wouldn't have thought so, which means Chara and Power as third pairing? I'd be OK with that. Power would learn a lot without being thrown into the deep end being asked to hold up the defense. You'd also not be expecting Chara to either in his twilight years.

I can’t see it. There isn’t much in common between them other than being tall.

 

[joshjull]

Why not this season? Have him mentor Power when he signs.

Butcher (%50) for Chara

I‘d be very surprised if Lou traded him here. He doesn’t have a NMC or NTC but he is a respected vet. If he got traded, I imagine Lou would take care of him and send him to a contender.

 

[KiwiGriff]

I can’t see it. There isn’t much in common between them other than being tall.

Do I think it's the most likely choice of partner? No. But I wouldn't exactly be shocked if it happened.

 

[Chainshot]

Z? Huh. Chara's game impacts in his own zone are worse than Butcher's this year. Father time has caught up to him. He also doesn't play the right side. And I can't see him going anywhere that he doesn't want to go, even if he was any good any longer.

Hopefully Buffalo passes on that idea.

 

[Bendium]

I want Chara, if only for him to play 3rd line with Bryson, and they can pull off a move where they both go behind the net from opposite sides, and Bryson skates thru Chara's legs, and noone know which one will emerge with the puck!

 

[Butt Ox]

I still say they sign Chara next off-season, barring retirement.

I'm in as long as we still get to boo Chara when he's on the ice.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

Z? Huh. Chara's game impacts in his own zone are worse than Butcher's this year. Father time has caught up to him. He also doesn't play the right side. And I can't see him going anywhere that he doesn't want to go, even if he was any good any longer.

Hopefully Buffalo passes on that idea.

Frankly, you’re signing him to be an on ice coach, mostly.

I know if I were a dman I’d rather learn from Chara instead of Weber.

 

[Chainshot]

Frankly, you’re signing him to be an on ice coach, mostly.

I know if I were a dman I’d rather learn from Chara instead of Weber.

Why handicap the kid with a boat anchor partner, playing on his offhand side? That's silly.

 

[Fjordsen]

Chara? They must have Dan Girardi.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

Why handicap the kid with a boat anchor partner, playing on his offhand side? That's silly.

I wasn’t saying to sign him to play with Power. Just to sign him in general so Power has some tall gangly skyscraper to learn from on the D side of the game.

Imagine the leaps and/or bounds Power, Joker, Dahlin, Kjell 2.0, and Bryson and possibly Johnson make being taught by a legit 1st ballot HoF for a year (they can ask Carlo and McAvoy how that went).

 

[sabremike]

Z? Huh. Chara's game impacts in his own zone are worse than Butcher's this year. Father time has caught up to him. He also doesn't play the right side. And I can't see him going anywhere that he doesn't want to go, even if he was any good any longer.

Hopefully Buffalo passes on that idea.

I really can't stress to people enough just how bad Chara is. He is arguably the single worst player at his position in the league with no mobility left whatsoever.

 

[Jacob582]

I really can't stress to people enough just how bad Chara is. He is arguably the single worst player at his position in the league with no mobility left whatsoever.

This proves how worthless of a stat plus/minus is.

 

[Chainshot]

I wasn’t saying to sign him to play with Power. Just to sign him in general so Power has some tall gangly skyscraper to learn from on the D side of the game.

Imagine the leaps and/or bounds Power, Joker, Dahlin, Kjell 2.0, and Bryson and possibly Johnson make being taught by a legit 1st ballot HoF for a year (they can ask Carlo and McAvoy how that went).

If they are looking at hiring coaches to teach him, put the full-court press on Larry Robinson. There is no history to say that Chara would make a good coach or can instruct someone in how to be good at the position. This would be like thinking Perreault could suddenly teach people how to score - that's not the way coaching has ever, ever worked.

 

[joshjull]

I wasn’t saying to sign him to play with Power. Just to sign him in general so Power has some tall gangly skyscraper to learn from on the D side of the game.

Imagine the leaps and/or bounds Power, Joker, Dahlin, Kjell 2.0, and Bryson and possibly Johnson make being taught by a legit 1st ballot HoF for a year (they can ask Carlo and McAvoy how that went).

A few things

1) Chara is not gangly. He is a physical freak built like a mountain at 6’9” 250lbs. Power is built like Tage but a little lighter at the moment.

2) Power plays a different game than Chara does. Chara certainly couldn’t teach him (Power) to play like he did. Power isn’t built for it nor inclined to play that way.

I’m sure Chara could give advice to our dmen on how to be pros but so could any vet dmen. Chara doesn‘t have some magical abilities to turn young dmen into really good players. You’re confusing ability as a player with ability to coach. Its not the same thing. I’m assuming thats why you took a shot at Weber from our development staff.

Things to help Power in his rookie season.

1) Good coach who understands development
2) Put him in a position to succeed. For example, don’t rush him into big minutes Let it happen organically.
3) Get him a good partner. Preferably one he could grow with but a 1 yr stop gap works as well. There a lot of ways we could go here but I dont see Chara as a good answer for this. I’d rather have Pysyk than Chara and he (Pysyk) is hardly my first choice.