Owen Power’s Hot Start: How one player is setting the tone for the Sabres

This time last season, Owen Power was scaring me, and I’m sure he was also scaring a contingent of Sabres fans. No, he wasn’t playing like a bust that I read from some in a few team forums implying, but it was easy to argue that Power didn’t look like he was worthy of being the top pick back in 2021. 

His numbers weren’t good, but they weren’t so bad to justify him as a bust, especially in what was his second full season. But this year, he’s been putting those narratives to sleep, and it’s a trend that will hopefully continue as the Blue and Gold continue to embark on their never-ending quest for consistency. 

Lately, we’ve been talking up a few players, like JJ Peterka and Alex Tuch, but Power has more than flown under the radar and deserves his fair share of recognition. In case you haven’t noticed, Power is fifth on the Sabres in points so far with 12, good for three goals and nine assists. He also has a respectable 11.1 shooting percentage, so if he starts taking more shots, Power could be a dark horse candidate for a 20-goal season. 

Owen Power looks like he’s finally living up to expectations for the Sabres

With 12 points in 16 games, Power is on track to land somewhere between 61 and 62 points. For comparison, this number is far more than what star player Rasmus Dahlin snagged in his third year back in 2020-21 when he finished with just 23 points in 56 games, adjusted to between 33 and 34 across 82 contests. 

This isn’t to say Power will end up as the better player, but it instead shows his potential. Plus, Power and Dahlin have differing playing styles, as the former is more position-based and finesse, while Dahlin has the offensive skills of a forward and the physical nature of a throwback blueliner. 

There have been some unfortunate caveats to Power’s game, such as 20 on-ice goals allowed in those 16 games, putting him on pace for watching opponents score between 102 and 103 times while he’s on the ice when the Sabres are at even strength. Still, 17 on-ice goals for in that same situation also isn’t a bad number, and it’s good for an on-ice shooting percentage of 13.6. 

Overall, Power has a few issues in his game to work out, but the overall improvement, at least offensively, is making him more worthy of his No. 1 overall draft status.