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

[Fezzy126]

Watching this kid let loose I'm even more thankful Ralph (and Steve Smith) isn't our coach, can you imagine him telling Power to just dump it in or to not skate down past the dots in the o-zone?

We'd already have a large group of fans calling him a bust.

 

[Matt Ress]

Watching this kid let loose I'm even more thankful Ralph (and Steve Smith) isn't our coach, can you imagine him telling Power to just dump it in or to not skate down past the dots in the o-zone?

We'd already have a large group of fans calling him a bust.

No way people would be that dumb

 

[Sabres Fan UK]

Jeez you remind me how much I thought Grigorenko was going to be a star. I wasn’t ever really that sold on Nylander though.

 

[CowbellConray]

I think he needs a two way partner. Him and Joker have been playing off one another in the offensive zone in his games so far. A pure stay at home guy will flub at the blue line vs someone like Joker.

Excited to see him continue to play smooth, solid minutes

 

[Dirty Dog]

Jeez you remind me how much I thought Grigorenko was going to be a star. I wasn’t ever really that sold on Nylander though.

This was me as well

 

[MarkusKetterer]

Jeez you remind me how much I thought Grigorenko was going to be a star. I wasn’t ever really that sold on Nylander though.

I wanted Wilson and Dumba (if Dumba fell that far). I definitely didn’t see being able to pass on Teravainen happening. I had no idea who Girgensons or Grigorenko were.

And I hated Nylander. It wasn’t Chychrun or Sergachev.

 

[dugman]

The thought that these might be the awkward games where he’s still settling in gives me heart palpitations.

 

[ValJamesDuex]

They were calling Power a rover the other night on the broadcast. Interesting but likely just giving free reign to start and not overloading him and then work on his game in the off season, camp, etc

I wonder if they will let him join team Canada ?

 

[Abraham de Lacy]

I liked everything I saw of Owen Power last night, even the mistakes. You could probably put him in any combination with the other three main pieces and it will work. He's nineteen and has played a mere four games !!

Sabres defensive pairings are going to be the envy of the rest of the league provided that it is possible to keep them together.

The future's looking bright!

 

[tsujimoto74]

They were calling Power a rover the other night on the broadcast. Interesting but likely just giving free reign to start and not overloading him and then work on his game in the off season, camp, etc

I wonder if they will let him join team Canada ?

I think perhaps Granato's best quality as a coach is that he doesn't feel like he has to take young guys and mold them into completely different players for them to be successful NHLers. I doubt we ever see Power put on a leash a la Dahlin under Krueger.

 

[Chainshot]

I think perhaps Granato's best quality as a coach is that he doesn't feel like he has to take young guys and mold them into completely different players for them to be successful NHLers. I doubt we ever see Power put on a leash a la Dahlin under Krueger.

I'm curious if that evolves as the roster matures. Right now, it seems they are focused on trying to get them all growing which seems to have been a solid success.

As for Power, he clearly sees the way Owen can and does attack like a forward. That is probably the BEST part of his offensive game and to hear the coach gets it AND that he has the confidence that Owen won't make the same mistakes twice? Yes please. The ability for Granato to inject confidence and correction into players is a really interesting study in modern coaching.

 

[ValJamesDuex]

I'm curious if that evolves as the roster matures. Right now, it seems they are focused on trying to get them all growing which seems to have been a solid success.

As for Power, he clearly sees the way Owen can and does attack like a forward. That is probably the BEST part of his offensive game and to hear the coach gets it AND that he has the confidence that Owen won't make the same mistakes twice? Yes please. The ability for Granato to inject confidence and correction into players is a really interesting study in modern coaching.

Great Chain, plant the Power to forward thought....

 

[Chainshot]

Great Chain, plant the Power to forward thought....

Nah, the skill is in how he has the ability to play down low like a big, rumbling forward when he pinches. Most defensemen who activate from the blueline either have the puck on their stick or just keep a contested puck alive. Some few pinch on backside opportunities to get a back post play on the opposite side from the puck. And very few do what Power does, which is drive the outside lane with or without the puck to get to the net regardless of if it is on the strong or weak side AND then stick around to go to the net even if he doesn't have the biscuit. Most defensemen will peal back to the point after they move in. He turns to the puck to make himself available while moving to the net. That's... just every time I see that. He's got special instincts for how he plays back there.

And then after he does that, he doesn't loaf about but instead puts his speed to use to get back in position to be the guy responsible for killing plays coming at him. When I first started watching him closely this year, that was some of what I was consistently struck by in his game - there would be shifts were there is some big forward crashing the boards and driving the net... and it was him! Followed almost immediately after by a rush coming back and - wait a minute, that's him again! back defending. It's f***ing awesome. Do not move this guy anywhere.

 

[Jim Bob]

Nah, the skill is in how he has the ability to play down low like a big, rumbling forward when he pinches. Most defensemen who activate from the blueline either have the puck on their stick or just keep a contested puck alive. Some few pinch on backside opportunities to get a back post play on the opposite side from the puck. And very few do what Power does, which is drive the outside lane with or without the puck to get to the net regardless of if it is on the strong or weak side AND then stick around to go to the net even if he doesn't have the biscuit. Most defensemen will peal back to the point after they move in. He turns to the puck to make himself available while moving to the net. That's... just every time I see that. He's got special instincts for how he plays back there.

And then after he does that, he doesn't loaf about but instead puts his speed to use to get back in position to be the guy responsible for killing plays coming at him. When I first started watching him closely this year, that was some of what I was consistently struck by in his game - there would be shifts were there is some big forward crashing the boards and driving the net... and it was him! Followed almost immediately after by a rush coming back and - wait a minute, that's him again! back defending. It's f***ing awesome. Do not move this guy anywhere.

You mean they shouldn't move Dahlin to center and Power to wing?

 

[dortt]

You mean they shouldn't move Dahlin to center and Power to wing?

well... Dahlin could put up 120 points as a winger in a season the way he is playing this year. He has been that dominant when he attacks

 

[GOALOFSSON]

You mean they shouldn't move Dahlin to center and Power to wing?

Power - Dahlin - Risto

What could have been...

 

[TheMistyStranger]

Power - Dahlin - Risto

What could have been...

I kinda want to see that now. Risto was always miscast and could have been a hell of a power forward. Dahlin's offensive skills are off the charts, and he's mean. And Power is just smooth and smart.

 

[debaser66]

I wanted Wilson and Dumba (if Dumba fell that far). I definitely didn’t see being able to pass on Teravainen happening. I had no idea who Girgensons or Grigorenko were.

And I hated Nylander. It wasn’t Chychrun or Sergachev.

Grigorenko was the guy who was projected to go top 3 to 5 and fell until our pick which got me excited back then

 

[The Blunder Years]

Grigorenko was the guy who was projected to go top 3 to 5 and fell until our pick which got me excited back then

I remember being hyped when we got him. It was the first draft I got into. Although when I watched Grigorenko at development camp and preseason I couldn’t believe how slow he was. He just looked like such a dull player. I used to think Girgs was going to be our Kopitar too lol

 

[tsujimoto74]

I remember being hyped when we got him. It was the first draft I got into. Although when I watched Grigorenko at development camp and preseason I couldn’t believe how slow he was. He just looked like such a dull player. I used to think Girgs was going to be our Kopitar too lol

Ah, yes the good old days, when we daydreamed about our future 1-2 center punch of Grigs and Girgs and our future top pairing of Zadorov-Risto...Oof.

 

[Montag DP]

Ah, yes the good old days, when we daydreamed about our future 1-2 center punch of Grigs and Girgs and our future top pairing of Zadorov-Risto...Oof.

Don't forget our big FA acquisitions in Ehrhoff and Leino.

 

[UnleashRasmus]

He looked much more comfortable in the second game of the back to back for Philadelphia.

 

[brian_griffin]

Not criticizing, but observing...
In the Blues game, I stayed out of the GDT because I watched on DVR delay later that evening.

On Tarasenko's 2nd goal, the Blues ran a set play off the faceoff in their zone. D-man banked a pass off the boards out of Power's (and Tarasenko's) reach, allowing Tarasenko to collect it off his own carom with position on Power to get a clear path & good look in on goal, which he scored with some deft hands. It's a really difficult play to defend, IMO (I've never been coached, so others can chime in), but on the initial play off the boards, Power either needs to anticipate the clear / bank-pass, or intentionally play the body and slow up Tarasenko, risk taking an interference call, and yell for his partner to play the puck and either collect the puck or hustle back to defend if there was a Blues trailer behind Tarasenko to gather it in.

Tarasenko is world class (and had a 5-point night !!!), so there's no shame in that play and goal against, but Power will need to remember nearly all the guys have speed at the NHL level and he'll need to use his body where previously his skating / stick / reach would have reduced those threats.

 

[Jim Bob]

Not criticizing, but observing...
In the Blues game, I stayed out of the GDT because I watched on DVR delay later that evening.

On Tarasenko's 2nd goal, the Blues ran a set play off the faceoff in their zone. D-man banked a pass off the boards out of Power's (and Tarasenko's) reach, allowing Tarasenko to collect it off his own carom with position on Power to get a clear path & good look in on goal, which he scored with some deft hands. It's a really difficult play to defend, IMO (I've never been coached, so others can chime in), but on the initial play off the boards, Power either needs to anticipate the clear / bank-pass, or intentionally play the body and slow up Tarasenko, risk taking an interference call, and yell for his partner to play the puck and either collect the puck or hustle back to defend if there was a Blues trailer behind Tarasenko to gather it in.

Tarasenko is world class (and had a 5-point night !!!), so there's no shame in that play and goal against, but Power will need to remember nearly all the guys have speed at the NHL level and he'll need to use his body where previously his skating / stick / reach would have reduced those threats.

For me, Power was overly aggressive and if he stayed within the dots, he is in a much better position to defend that play.

One of the most basic things that good defensive coaches stress is the discipline to stay inside the dots and not chase forwards between the dots and the boards. Power tried to attack Tarasenko outside the dots, lost, and Dahlin wasn't there to help.

Patience is a virtue on that play. Hopefully Power learned his lesson.

 

[jc17]

Not criticizing, but observing...
In the Blues game, I stayed out of the GDT because I watched on DVR delay later that evening.

On Tarasenko's 2nd goal, the Blues ran a set play off the faceoff in their zone. D-man banked a pass off the boards out of Power's (and Tarasenko's) reach, allowing Tarasenko to collect it off his own carom with position on Power to get a clear path & good look in on goal, which he scored with some deft hands. It's a really difficult play to defend, IMO (I've never been coached, so others can chime in), but on the initial play off the boards, Power either needs to anticipate the clear / bank-pass, or intentionally play the body and slow up Tarasenko, risk taking an interference call, and yell for his partner to play the puck and either collect the puck or hustle back to defend if there was a Blues trailer behind Tarasenko to gather it in.

Tarasenko is world class (and had a 5-point night !!!), so there's no shame in that play and goal against, but Power will need to remember nearly all the guys have speed at the NHL level and he'll need to use his body where previously his skating / stick / reach would have reduced those threats.

I don't think an observation of a bad play should require paragraphs of explanation and disclaimers about not criticizing.

People are a little too sensitive any time a comment about our young guys is not oozing praise.

I haven't loved his defensive game, in the very little I've seen of him, but he's young and it shouldn't be an indictment of his career. I guess I'm adding disclaimers too