Buffalo Sabres: Owen Power showed off durability in 2021-22

Many Buffalo Sabres enjoyed remarkable seasons. But no one, perhaps in the history of hockey, had a more remarkable year than Owen Power. 

In his first NHL stint, Buffalo Sabres rookie Owen Power played in a grand total of eight games. The last eight games of a season in which he spent his last twelve months playing all over the world in the college, international, and professional ranks.

He did something 19-year-old kids aren’t supposed to. You’d think a college hockey player like Power would be in school, focusing solely on helping the University of Michigan win a National Championship. And for the most part, this is what he did.

However, he also saw regular ice time playing for Canada at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. And if that wasn’t enough, he also helped Canada win the gold at the World Championships in Riga, Latvia in May 2021.

Buffalo Sabres rookie Owen Power showed off his durability

Roughly two months following the World Championships, Power heard his name called first in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. In a season that spanned across three different continents, and different levels of play, Power showed that he even possesses non-flashy attributes like endurance, something every NHL player needs to withstand an 82-game regular season.

Here is what really made Power impressive: He excelled in April , facing arguably his toughest competition all year. This occurred 12 months following his trip to Latvia, and just two after the Beijing Olympics.

In his eight NHL games, Power scored three points and he also posted a (+3) in the plus/minus category. He shot 20 percent this season, and logged 22:05 of average ice time. On defense, Power showed off his aggression with six takeaways and nine blocks.

You would have thought that somewhere along the line, Power would have suffered a burnout. But he played arguably his best hockey in April. As far as early returns go regarding Power, the Sabres found themselves a franchise cornerstone to build around.

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)