Buffalo Sabres: A way too early prediction for Owen Power
By Sion Fawkes
What will Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power bring to the table in 2022-23? Here is a way too early prediction for the rookie.
Owen Power played roughly 180 minutes for the Buffalo Sabres last season in a small, eight-game sample size. And for the most part, he exceeded wild expectations. Power scored three times (two goals), logged nine blocks, and six takeaways.
Yeah, he had four giveaways and no, he wasn’t the most physical player. But who cares? The University of Michigan product played rather well. That said, it is important to be cautiously optimistic with Power.
He could break records this season and win the Calder, but let’s be realistic with this way too early prediction. Here is what to expect from Owen Power in 2022-23.
A way too early prediction for Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power
Power will make his mistakes next season and he will do so often. Not that he will be so mistake-prone that head coach Don Granato will pull him out of the lineup. But things change when opponents have more information on a player and their tendencies at the NHL level.
This will help teams exploit Power next season, even if he winds up pairing with a sledgehammer like Ilya Lyubushkin, who has nine seasons of professional hockey experience (four in the NHL, five in the KHL). If he remains next to Jokiharju, the advantage is that he will have someone more familiar with Granato’s system than Lyubushkin. But either way, expect a struggle.
Not that Power won’t build off his successful eight-game campaign. He displayed speed and an accurate shot. Power, when you watch games as early as his debut, also has a knack for being in position and he is always a threat to log a takeaway, using his long range to either force an opponent to pass before they’re ready, or to get a stick on the puck.