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

Bendium

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Oct 18, 2019
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He just got here and hasn't even played in the AHL. The step up from NCAA to NHL is huge. Every player he faces in the NHL has equivalent or better skills, size, and speed as any player he saw in college. It will take a couple years for him to really find his NHL game. Expect the same pain we went through with Dahlin......well maybe alittle less. :)
 

Chainshot

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Feb 28, 2002
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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

He's got a lot to learn in his own zone.
 

brian_griffin

"Eric Cartman?"
May 10, 2007
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In the Panderverse
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
I think we're agreeing.
My disavowing criticism was based on 3 factors:
1. I've never been coached / played organized hockey, so I don't know what is taught on how to defend such plays. It seems a difficult play to defend vs. other types of plays.
2. Tarasenko is world-class offensive talent, and he had a beastly game vs. BUF. It was a beauty play, which should be praised on its own merit.
3. Power can absolutely be criticized, but I don't know if this play was worthy of calling out, as opposed to other more routine plays, e.g., if a forward got between Power and the Sabres goalie, and OP failed to lift a stick, or another more basic / frequently occurring play.
 

jd1970

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Feb 23, 2007
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He just got here and hasn't even played in the AHL. The step up from NCAA to NHL is huge. Every player he faces in the NHL has equivalent or better skills, size, and speed as any player he saw in college. It will take a couple years for him to really find his NHL game. Expect the same pain we went through with Dahlin......well maybe alittle less. :)
Dahlin was a franchise player draft choice. Therefore his growing pains were everyone else's fault.
 

Buffaloed

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Feb 27, 2002
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Hot take du jour: Power would have been better off signing with the Sabres a year ago. What did he really gain by staying at Michigan; WJC, Olympics, National Championship? He'd have a year under his belt at playing against a higher level of competition, and be a year closer to a lucrative RFA contract. There's no way he could have known that covid would mess up his plans this bad.
 

Dingo44

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Hot take du jour: Power would have been better off signing with the Sabres a year ago. What did he really gain by staying at Michigan; WJC, Olympics, National Championship? He'd have a year under his belt at playing against a higher level of competition, and be a year closer to a lucrative RFA contract. There's no way he could have known that covid would mess up his plans this bad.

Maybe for him, but I think we benefit for sure. Other than getting that year back, after playing in a (short) World Juniors, Olympics, Big 10 Tournament, and Frozen Four, in a year where we didn't make the playoffs, can't hurt. Plus maybe his relationship with Portillo grew close enough that he's more likely to sign next year.
 
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sabresfan129103

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Apr 10, 2006
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Hot take du jour: Power would have been better off signing with the Sabres a year ago. What did he really gain by staying at Michigan; WJC, Olympics, National Championship? He'd have a year under his belt at playing against a higher level of competition, and be a year closer to a lucrative RFA contract. There's no way he could have known that covid would mess up his plans this bad.
It's tough to say. I think he walked into a good situation at this point in the year when the team is finally starting to gel instead of the shit show that it was at the beginning of the season.
 

BuffaloGooner

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Sep 8, 2011
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Hot take du jour: Power would have been better off signing with the Sabres a year ago. What did he really gain by staying at Michigan; WJC, Olympics, National Championship? He'd have a year under his belt at playing against a higher level of competition, and be a year closer to a lucrative RFA contract. There's no way he could have known that covid would mess up his plans this bad.
I think him joining while vibez are high is good for him

I also think just letting him go be big man on campus once again, go to the Olympics, should’ve been a full WJC, is good for him as a human. He’s 19. The NHL was waiting for him and he deserved to go do what he wanted.
 

Chainshot

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Hot take du jour: Power would have been better off signing with the Sabres a year ago. What did he really gain by staying at Michigan; WJC, Olympics, National Championship? He'd have a year under his belt at playing against a higher level of competition, and be a year closer to a lucrative RFA contract. There's no way he could have known that covid would mess up his plans this bad.

He said he went back to work on his offensive game and early results on that was why he was getting that ridiculous NHLe(eeeee!) score ranking in December. He wanted to add to his game and did so. I don't know if he has the freedom or confidence as he did against his peer group if he's facing NHLers every night.
 
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Chainshot

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I think this belongs here. First of many ...



I love how he's beaten not one, but THREE of the Devil's up the ice, including one of their defensemen who is at the blueline as he's below the faceoff dot. This is as Thompson gets the puck from Hinostroza in the corner.

1650660640491.png
 

valet

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Jan 26, 2017
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power looking like a stud so far. curious to see how he’ll do over the course of a whole season. love how polished his defensive game is at this stage. and he’ll probably only get better. i just hope dahlin-power don’t end up costing us 20mil+ in the coming years. we got a lot of young guys that are gonna demand salary as they grow
 

Diaspora

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Jul 13, 2020
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power looking like a stud so far. curious to see how he’ll do over the course of a whole season. love how polished his defensive game is at this stage. and he’ll probably only get better. i just hope dahlin-power don’t end up costing us 20mil+ in the coming years. we got a lot of young guys that are gonna demand salary as they grow
Salary cap has to grow by the time we get there.
 

dortt

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Sep 21, 2018
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power looking like a stud so far. curious to see how he’ll do over the course of a whole season. love how polished his defensive game is at this stage. and he’ll probably only get better. i just hope dahlin-power don’t end up costing us 20mil+ in the coming years. we got a lot of young guys that are gonna demand salary as they grow

Hockey trades will be required in a couple of years due to the cap factor you mentioned. That includes trading one or two stars
 

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