Buffalo Sabres: A way too early prediction for Owen Power

Defense, defense, and more defense

Power will be a threat to log his fair share of takeaways. When the Buffalo Sabres defenseman made his debut against the Toronto Maple Leafs, his sheer range became an immediate threat to any opponent who dared to challenge him with the puck.

Power’s arms are so long and his range is so vast that he can easily get a stick on the puck to disrupt a play. He is also fast enough that, even if out of position, he can immediately slide back to where he needs to be and force opponents to change direction lest the risk turning the puck over.

And when opponents kept the puck away from Power in the offensive zone, he was seemingly always in front of the goal, doing his part to help prevent shots from finding twine. Just check out highlights from his debut against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

For this reason, I expect Power to log at least one block per game in 2022-23, and to record his fair share of takeaways. While I don’t think he will be a big hitter, his speed and range will let him display his defensive skills as the 2022-23 season wears on.

Overall, I am expecting some up and down performances from Power. Especially between November and February. But he will burst onto the scene in October and log some good numbers before cooling off and picking things back up once March 2023 rolls around. And hopefully, by that time, the Buffalo Sabres will find themselves contending for a wild card.

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)