For the Buffalo Sabres, anything that could go wrong has gone wrong this season
But there’s more hope for the franchise these days since that magical 1998-99 season. Former first overall pick Rasmus Dahlin is having a career year and it’s given him his first of what will be many All-Star Game selections. So if you’re a Buffalo Sabres fan, Dahlin is just one reason to get excited.
But what about Owen Power, the Sabres’ first overall pick who is one of college hockey’s fastest-rising stars? Electing to return to the Wolverines over an entry-level NHL contract, Power has taken UM by storm, with the school going as far as to market him as the hockey program’s marquee player.
Buffalo Sabres top pick gives fans a reason to believe
But the towering defenseman can bypass the popularity both he and the Wolverines’ hockey program has received. Instead, he’s taken the long road to the NHL to help the program pursue a national championship and to fine-tune his game for the professional level.
And his performance has been astronomical, with three goals, 23 assists (currently second in college hockey), and 26 points on the season through 24 games. He’s spent just eight minutes in the penalty box this season, showing Sabre fans that he also possesses on-ice discipline.
Much like Oskari Laaksonen of the Rochester Americans, Power shows savvy decision-making skills with the puck. And when he’s not looking to pass the puck to his Michigan teammates, he finds ways to get open and make or extend plays.
Yes, names like Power, Dahlin, and Henri Jokiharju, will give Sabres fans a reason to get excited, and let’s not count out Laaksonen, whose stellar play in Rochester also commands attention. But it’s not just the budding group of defensemen turning heads; forwards J.J. Peterka and Jack Quinn have played so well in the AHL, both have received recent call-ups to the NHL level.
Never afraid to skate deep into the offensive zone, Power still finds ways to contribute defensively, with teams rarely catching him out of position. A poised player who welcomes pressure, Power’s quick decision-making and ice awareness, among other attributes, gives Sabres fans everywhere a sneak peek of what to expect when he eventually makes his professional hockey debut. It looks like the team’s brightest days are in the not-so-distant future.