Speaking to the media at the end of the previous season, general manager of the Buffalo Sabres Kevyn Adams made it clear what his plans were with the long-term futures of defensemen Owen Power and Rasmus Dahlin. Adams stated, “There’s a process that you go through.” “But I couldn’t imagine those two staying away from us for very long.”
The procedure was completed on Wednesday. Two days after Dahlin inked an eight-year contract extension that will keep him in Buffalo through the 2031–2032 season, Power agreed to a seven-year contract extension at an average of $8.35 million annually with the Sabres. With long-term contracts, the Sabres now have five key players under the age of 26. Last season, defenseman Mattias Samuelsson, forwards Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens, and goalie Dahlin all inked seven-year deals.
at his debut season, Power made a name for himself as one of those key players by recording the most minutes for a defenseman at his age of twenty. His average time on the ice (23:48) was the most for rookies, and his total even-strength ice time (1,634:47) put him in sixth place among all NHL skaters. At even strength, Power averaged 20:44, the greatest number for an NHL rookie since the league began keeping track of the statistic in the 1997–98 campaign. As the NHL’s rookie of the year, he was nominated a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy.
The defenseman’s composure under pressure was praised by teammates and coaches alike, and it was one of the qualities that earned him the first overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. Coach Don Granato stated in January, following Power’s achievement of becoming the first rookie defenseman in Sabres history to score in three straight games, that “what he does on a nightly basis is just amazing when you factor in his age and lack of experience in our league.”
With Power on the ice in the previous season, the Sabres controlled 52.2 percent of the 5-on-5 shot attempts. With a plus-10 rating, he came in fifth place on the team. At the time of his draft, Power was known for his defensive poise, but he also established himself as a reliable quarterback on power plays and an offensive danger. In terms of points (35), assists (31), and individual scoring opportunities (100), he led rookie defenseman.
According to Natural Stat Trick, the Sabres scored 74.41 anticipated goals at 5-on-5 with Power in the game, leading all rookies in the league by almost twenty. Another No. 1 pick, Dahlin, frequently complimented Power on how he handled his NHL debut. Dahlin stated in April, “He does so much out there that he doesn’t get credit for.” He always seems to be in the right place at the right time. He doesn’t make many mistakes. When he plays like manner, he never gets fatigued. Though he appears to be floating there, his intelligence is astounding. He’s in the correct place all the time.
