Options the Buffalo Sabres have for Owen Power’s contract
By Sion Fawkes
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power will get a contract extension at some point. But there is a chance it may not be a long-term deal.
Owen Power had a successful rookie campaign with the Buffalo Sabres and he will receive a contract extension sometime this summer or at the latest, during the 2023-24 season. A Calder Trophy finalist, the former number one overall pick’s value has increased, but the question is, will Power be willing to sign such a long-term extension so early?
He knows star defenseman Rasmus Dahlin is going to get his payday when the new league year begins and everything becomes official. And one look at Dahlin’s contract history shows a potential blueprint regarding Power.
Dahlin signed an entry-level deal in 2018 and it ran through 2020-21 at an AAV of $3.775. He then signed a three-year deal at an AAV of $6 million that ran from 2021-22 through 2023-24. And now, you can expect Dahlin’s latest deal to sit at a roughly $10 million AAV.
Buffalo Sabres defenseman’s contract could mimic Dahlin’s bridge deal
While Power could sign a long-term deal for an AAV north of what Dahlin has been playing on but under $10 million, his representation may also urge him to increase his value. This would call for a shorter contract roughly similar to Dahlin’s $6 million AAV that could run through 2026-27, then roll with the long-term extension at a price north of the $10 million AAV mark starting in 2027-28.
Or, he could opt for the Dylan Cozens route. This past season, Cozens was playing on the final year of his entry-level deal with roughly a $1.744 million AAV. He then put up consistent numbers, and inked a seven-year extension at an AAV of $7.1 million.
The bottom line? General manager Kevyn Adams could make Power an immediate offer that could entice him to sign a long-term agreement immediately, but it’s safe to say that the number would be well over $6 million a year. This would put a lot of faith in a player with just one full season of experience, but it would also lock up a workhorse of a blueliner that Power proved he was last season.
However, if Adams makes Power an offer in the $6 million to $7 million AAV range, I would expect the second-year defenseman to opt for a shorter deal, then sign the long-term extension with a double-digit AAV in the future.
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If Power instead wants to play on his current deal, chances are that he could even sign something in the realm of $8 million to $9 million for seven years during the season when he inevitably makes the production leap from Year 1 to Year 2. Needless to say, it will be interesting to see how this one plays out.
Source: What we’re hearing about the Sabres’ offseason after the NHL Scouting Combine by Adam Fairburn, TheAthletic.com
(Contract information provided by Cap Friendly)