Chris Pronger delivers Owen Power reality check to Buffalo Sabres fans

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power is one of the NHL's most polarizing players, even within his own fanbase, and that status probably won't change anytime soon.

That's mostly because a segment of Sabres fans, mostly old-school puck watchers who firmly believe in the importance of physical play, will never accept a 6-foot-6 blueliner who doesn't use that size to deliver bone-crushing hits on a nightly basis.

Chris Pronger, a longtime NHL defender who earned enshrinement in the Hockey Hall of Fame, doesn't expect the Buffalo cornerstone to ever evolve into a player who dishes out 300 hits a season.

Instead, Pronger explained what he's witnessed from Power so far and what comes next for the 23-year-old Canadian during a recent appearance on the Missin Curfew podcast.

"You know, I've watched that kid since he's 15," Pronger said. "For a big man, he can skate. Great skater. Good vision. You know, honestly, one of his only drawbacks and his biggest issue is — we can call it a lack of compete, we can call it lack of aggression, very similar to how people look at [the St. Louis Blues'] Colton Parayko — they want this kid running around killing guys."

Coincidentally, the Sabres attempted to make a deal for Parayko ahead of the recent 2026 NHL trade deadline, but the Blues star blocked the move with his no-trade clause.

Meanwhile, Pronger also discussed the next step for Power in terms of using his size effectively without becoming a traditional physical presence for Buffalo.

"It's not in his nature [to play that style]," the six-time NHL All-Star said. "So, what I think they're trying to work on more this year is just competing harder in and around the front of the net. He's not gonna be a guy that kills guys behind the net, in the corners. He's gonna have a good stick. He needs to use his body to lean on the opposition a little bit."

Pronger's evaluation comes as the No. 1 overall pick of the 2021 NHL Draft plays his fourth full season with the Sabres after a standout college career at the University of Michigan.

Analytics, recent offensive surge paint a promising picture as Owen Power proves his worth to the Buffalo Sabres

A quick glance as Power's baseline numbers won't wow anybody. He's recorded a modest 24 points (seven goals and 17 assists) in 66 games this season while chipping in 75 blocked shots and 28 hits.

Those offensive numbers come with a couple caveats, though.

First, Power sees essentially no ice time with the Sabres' top power-play unit because Rasmus Dahlin is the group's quarterback. He does play a little bit on the second power play, but it's a role he shares with fellow defenseman Bowen Byram.

Second, the 2023 NHL All-Rookie Team selection has started to make a bigger impact in the attacking zone as of late. He's tallied seven points (three goals and four helpers) over the past eight games.

The underlying metrics also shed a positive light on Power.

He ranks third among full-time Sabres defensemen in expected goals for (xGF%) at 50.8% and he's first in the group in scoring chance rate (SCF%) at 51.8%, per Natural Stat Trick.

That suggests Power makes a lot of important small plays, usually with good stick work in the defensive zone, to limit opponents offensively, even if it doesn't show up in the box score. He's also strong in transition and may be turning a corner in the offensive zone.

The eye test backs up that assessment as long as you can look past the low number of hits.

For some fans that's impossible, however. In their mind, a 6-foot-6, 226-pound defenseman playing a finesse game is a waste of size, even if he's effective.

Of course, you could point toward Logan Stanley (6'7'', 231 pounds) and Luke Schenn (6'2'', 225), who've struggled to adapt to the Sabres' up-tempo style of play since being acquired from the Winnipeg Jets ahead of the trade deadline. They were brought in for their physical edge.

It's possible Stanley and Schenn will eventually find their footing in Buffalo and play meaningful roles during the club's playoff run. Yet, they've so far shown putting players in the lineup just so they can throw hits and fight doesn't always work out well.

Here's the bottom line: Power is a positive-impact player who continues to improve. Trading him over the summer, when the Sabres will face a salary-cap crunch, in favor of low-cost physicality would be a massive mistake by general manager Jarmo Kekalainen.

The Ontario native should remain one of Buffalo's organizational pillars for the foreseeable future.