Sabres' Owen Power entering rookie of the year discussion with impactful season

Zemgus Girgensons, the Sabres’ alternate captain, patted Power on the head, and Kyle Okposo, their captain, put his right arm around Power to begin a group hug that encapsulated the bond forged among the 23 players in their dressing room.

At only 20 years old, Power, a rookie defenseman, earned the respect and admiration of his teammates upon joining them in April. Drafted first overall in 2021, he’s shown them through his actions each day that he’ll work tirelessly to improve at his craft with a goal to help the Sabres reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs. And finally, 42 games into an exceptional season, he was rewarded with his first goal when he buried a one-timer into the net 56 seconds into overtime on a pass from Thompson.

“If you watched him all year and saw the way he played, I think you'd be absolutely stunned if you knew he didn't have a goal,” said Sabres forward Casey Mittelstadt.

Sabres coach Don Granato predicted afterward that Power’s next goal wouldn’t take as long. Less than 24 hours later, Power did it again. The 6-foot-6, 218-pound defenseman redirected JJ Peterka’s pass over the goal line to give Buffalo a 3-0 lead in St. Louis. Power’s goal streak reached three games Thursday in Winnipeg with his wrist shot that beat goalie Connor Hellebuyck at the near post, and he skated a team-high 27:56 in the shootout loss Saturday in Minnesota.

Power became the third-youngest NHL defenseman with a three-game goal streak since 1988-89. As the Sabres prepared for their flight from Winnipeg to Minneapolis late Thursday night, Granato told reporters it was “astonishing” that Power hadn’t been considered a serious contender for the league’s rookie of the year.

As a first-year pro, Power is averaging 23:39 of ice time per game, two minutes more the next-closest player. He’s facing the opponent’s top forwards each night and excelling in every situation. His basic, statistical production doesn’t tantalize – three goals with 19 points in 46 games ahead of the Sabres’ matchup with the visiting Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday – but few defensemen in the NHL have made a greater impact on his team’s offensive results in 5-on-5 situations than Power.

“OP should be right there at the top with those guys," Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson said of the midseason rookie-of-the-year discussion. “He doesn’t have as many points as a forward, but when you’re talking about his impact on the team, he’s right up there with the rest of them.”

No other rookie has been on the ice for as many 5-on-5 goals as Power, who has celebrated 54 with his teammates in those situations, and he’s tied for fourth among all NHL defensemen with Rasmus Dahlin and Jonas Siegenthaler of the New Jersey Devils, according to Natural Stat Trick. Power ranks 16th in total 5-on-5 ice time.

The Sabres are averaging 3.53 goals per 60 minutes in 5-on-5 situations when Power is on the ice, a mark that ranks seventh among all defensemen to appear in at least 40 games, according to Evolving-Hockey. His average ice time per game ranks sixth among all rookie defensemen since the league began tracking the statistic in 1997-98. The poised, efficient, dynamic way in which Power played the position at the University of Michigan has remarkably carried over to the NHL.

At Michigan, Power was bigger and stronger than most of his opponents. In Buffalo, he’s learned how to kill plays and win puck battles before sparking the Sabres’ transition offense with a tape-to-tape breakout pass.

“I think the most impressive thing is how fast it seems like he's learning and getting better every day," said Mittelstadt. "It's hard to be 20 years old and to be a defenseman. I was a forward and it was hard. ... I thought he was really good at the beginning of the year, and, now, I didn't see this coming. He keeps getting better. We're pretty lucky to have him and Ras back there."

There are notable areas of the game in which Power has needed to adjust. He couldn’t play a physical game at Michigan because of NCAA officiating. Mel Pearson, the Wolverines’ coach during Power’s time on campus, needed his top defenseman to stay out of the penalty box so there was an emphasis on using his stick to thwart a rush or win a battle for the puck.

Defensive-zone coverage is also more challenging when trying to stop the best forwards in the world. Power's eight games with the Sabres in April were an introduction to the difference in the speed of an NHL game. He saw how defending the rush required more attention to detail, and he used the foresight gained to work on specific areas during the offseason.

Power has consistently generated scoring chances since late October by using his stick-handling and skating to create a lane toward the net, but it wasn’t until the game in Dallas that he was rewarded.

“I think just more experience, maybe, and I think I've also just had better opportunities,” Power explained. “I mean, puck's been finding me a little more. So, I don't know if it's too much of what I'm doing, it's more so just the guys around. They've been finding me in good spots, and I've been having some pretty good looks.”

Though the Sabres have placed an immense responsibility on Power’s shoulders, he’s not forced to develop under the pressure that Dahlin experienced as a rookie in 2018-19. Power doesn’t have to be the top guy in Buffalo. He’s part of what’s likely the best, young defense corps in the NHL led by Dahlin, Samuelsson and Henri Jokiharju.

"I have a lot of respect for how hard he works and how intent he is upon becoming better, but I want to make sure that's balanced and he's not working too hard, putting too much pressure on himself that's negative," Granato said of Power. "So, I actually keep conversations with him minimal about hockey and hockey specific, although there's plenty hockey specific, but make sure it's balanced with just life and breathe and enjoy the moment and get excited for the next moment.

"Enjoy that aspect of it. Knowing that, and reassuring him that the work you're putting in, the reward is going to follow. It's inevitable. ... So he's got lots of reasons to be confident and I think our job is to keep him that way."

Reporters’ limited time in the Sabres’ dressing room following practices and games provides a snapshot into the behind-the-scenes interactions among players. Early in the season, Power still appeared quiet and intense. He was rarely seen joking with teammates. 

Power is still among the first on the ice and the last to leave for practices. On Tuesday, when the Sabres had a 33-minute on-ice session to prepare for the final game before the All-Star break, Power was among several who stayed out for a while to work on his skills. 

Power isn’t as quiet anymore, though. And comfort around his teammates has carried over to his play. There were signs of hesitation during the first 10 games of the season. He seemed to be placing too much pressure on himself to be perfect. At the urging of Granato and teammates, Power has found a balance between working relentlessly and appreciating the experience of competing in the NHL. 

The moment in Dallas, from the shot to the group hug, gave fans the latest glimpse into Power's impact on the ice and the respect he's earned from a team that can be in a playoff spot with a win Wednesday night.

“My first year when I got a called up at the end of the year and played the 12 games, I don't think I said a word for the whole like three weeks,” said Samuelsson. “I think that's how he kind of was when he came in last year at the end. Pretty quiet, it's all new. You don't really know anybody, everyone's already friends. So, you kind of stick to yourself. I think this year he's gotten way more comfortable, like inside jokes with other guys. Just stuff that happens on a normal team in the locker room. He's obviously a big part of the team and now he's developing those relationships and he definitely seems to be having a lot of fun every day.

“I definitely go after him every day. He likes it. He wants to be a part of the group just like everyone else, so he gives it right back, and he's hilarious. He's definitely more comfortable now, which I think actually does show on the ice."

Back to work

Sabres center Tage Thompson returned to practice Tuesday after missing the previous on-ice session for an upper-body injury that has him considered “day to day.” Granato told reporters afterward that the “hope” is Thompson, Samuelsson and center Dylan Cozens will be in the lineup Wednesday when the Sabres host the Hurricanes at 7:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on TNT.

In other news, the Sabres assigned prospect Matej Pekar from Rochester to the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones.