Another Michigan Wolverine has decided to make the transition from college hockey to the NHL. Along with teammate Kent Johnson, Owen Power has decided to ink his NHL deal, according to ESPN’s Kevin Weekes. The Buffalo Sabres are getting the 2021 first-overall pick on his entry-level contract, and he could join the team and enter the lineup before the end of this season.
Power, 19, was as previously mentioned the first pick of the 2021 draft and has been the Sabres’ top prospect since. Standing at 6-foot-6 and 213 pounds, Power has coveted physical tools for a defenseman. He has flashed offensive upside to his game and produced well at Michigan, where he had 32 points in 33 games this season. Power had 16 points in 26 games as a freshman. It is a widely held opinion across the league that Power has serious potential to become a do-it-all, No. 1 blue-liner, and he joins a surging Buffalo team that already boasts another No. 1 pick defenseman in Rasmus Dahlin.
Beyond his exploits at Michigan, Power proved his NHL readiness by being selected for the Beijing Olympics, where he registered one assist. While the Sabres, which are 5-2-3 in their last 10 games, have run out of runway to make the playoffs this season, the signing of Power adds another jolt of optimism for a market that has to be feeling very confident about its squad going into next season. With top prospects such as Power and Jack Quinn set to enter a lineup that already posts strong young talent such as Dahlin, Peyton Krebs and Dylan Cozens, perhaps the Sabres’ NHL-record 11-year playoff drought can finally come to an end in 2022-23.
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