Player Discussion Owen Power, D (1st overall, 2021) Calder Finalist

[Beerz]

Its like everyone forgets what Hedman was like his first three seasons and all the hand wringing fans did over his mediocre play as a young d-man. Too many people expect Makar, who is allowed to play like a winger in CO.

Breathe. The guy has been legal drinking age for a few months.

Adams gave us 8 million reasons why being patient is not like others coming off their elc. He also gave us 1 more reason when he constructed a roster that put Owen Power in a top 4 role.

 

[LongWayDown37]

Adams gave us 8 million reasons why being patient is not like others coming off their elc. He also gave us 1 more reason when he constructed a roster that put Owen Power in a top 4 role.

That is your problem, not Owen Powers. None of it changes how young he is. If you want to be that guy at the end of the bar, go right ahead and ignore what it takes to develop for an NHL defenseman.

 

[Willgamesh]

Adams gave us 8 million reasons why being patient is not like others coming off their elc. He also gave us 1 more reason when he constructed a roster that put Owen Power in a top 4 role.

Also the 8Mil per argument is meaningless until next year. He currently has a cap hit of 916k.

 

[Tatanka]

That is your problem, not Owen Powers. None of it changes how young he is. If you want to be that guy at the end of the bar, go right ahead and ignore what it takes to develop for an NHL defenseman.

How do you send an 8 million dollar player to the AHL to develop? You have essentially gifted him a top 4 role despite his glaring defensive holes. Playing him up the lineup is not development it is stubbornly assigning ice time based on draft position. It is detrimental to the team’s development by pushing players up that haven’t shown the ability to handle it. The offensive side of his game is secondary to the need for him to be better defensively. Byrum also makes his offensive game less important as it appears he will be a fixture on pp 1 more so than Power.

 

[LongWayDown37]

How do you send an 8 million dollar player to the AHL to develop? You have essentially gifted him a top 4 role despite his glaring defensive holes. Playing him up the lineup is not development it is stubbornly assigning ice time based on draft position. It is detrimental to the team’s development by pushing players up that haven’t shown the ability to handle it. The offensive side of his game is secondary to the need for him to be better defensively. Byrum also makes his offensive game less important as it appears he will be a fixture on pp 1 more so than Power.

He doesn't need to go to the AHL. Players develop everyday at the NHL level. I think the hyperbole about how bad some think his play has been is pretty astounding. You're talking about a player who isn't even out of his ELC and onto the $8m deal yet.

 

[Tatanka]

He doesn't need to go to the AHL. Players develop everyday at the NHL level. I think the hyperbole about how bad some think his play has been is pretty astounding. You're talking about a player who isn't even out of his ELC and onto the $8m deal yet.

Developing players in the NHL has gotten us 13 years of no post season. His poor defensive play is not hyperbole. It is consistently on display. I have seen him in the USHL, NCAA and now on the Sabres. He has never shown any desire to defend with any urgency. He is passive. Your not going to develop an active defender in the NHL without putting the team in a position of accepting those limitations. Can he get better? Maybe. But that is on him. With a cushy contract and slotted minutes where is the motivation?

 

[BuffaloMango]

Adams gave us 8 million reasons why being patient is not like others coming off their elc. He also gave us 1 more reason when he constructed a roster that put Owen Power in a top 4 role.

When you look at the Power and Cozens extensions on their own you can maybe defend them as "future value". But when you look at them with the Granato extension you realize that Kevyn Adams is making it up as he goes, handing out contracts and crossing his fingers.

 

[Aladyyn]

 

[Satanphonehome]

People are so focused on the 6’6” guy refusing to bury his check they don’t see what he is actually doing well.

Sure he needs to get better, but he’s been a net positive and an above average NHL defenceman this year despite the learning curve.

Lot of hyperbole about his play. Kinda reminds me of Dahlin at the same age.

 

[Chainshot]

People are so focused on the 6’6” guy refusing to bury his check they don’t see what he is actually doing well.

Sure he needs to get better, but he’s been a net positive and an above average NHL defenceman this year despite the learning curve.

Lot of hyperbole about his play. Kinda reminds me of Dahlin at the same age.

Again, it's not about hitting.

 

[Tatanka]

People are so focused on the 6’6” guy refusing to bury his check they don’t see what he is actually doing well.

Sure he needs to get better, but he’s been a net positive and an above average NHL defenceman this year despite the learning curve.

Lot of hyperbole about his play. Kinda reminds me of Dahlin at the same age.

He has been an above average stretch passer. Not an nhl defenseman

 

[Willgamesh]

He has been an above average stretch passer. Not an nhl defenseman

Above average, or elite?

 

[Chainshot]

He has been an above average stretch passer. Not an nhl defenseman

That’s hard to reconcile.

 

[Satanphonehome]

Again, it's not about hitting.

Maybe not for you.

 

[Satanphonehome]

He has been an above average stretch passer. Not an nhl defenseman

Saying the best stretch passer in the NHL is not an NHL defenceman is pretty hard to give credit to, especially given how important that skill is in the modern NHL.

Even more so when said defenceman is 42nd in the entire NHL ice time and 32nd in even strength ice time while putting up a 52% possession% and a 54% goals for%.

Then there's the 44th in overall D points and 34th in D ES points, while also being a +7 on a losing team.

He's got flaws and most of them are without the puck in his own zone. But he is a net positive and an above-average NHL defenceman by both the eye test and the numbers.

There is no reasonable argument that can be made to support the bold.

 

[The Blunder Years]

He’s done very well with the responsibilities he’s been given and is doing It at a historically young age.

 

[Tatanka]

Saying the best stretch passer in the NHL is not an NHL defenceman is pretty hard to give credit to, especially given how important that skill is in the modern NHL.

Even more so when said defenceman is 42nd in the entire NHL ice time and 32nd in even strength ice time while putting up a 52% possession% and a 54% goals for%.

Then there's the 44th in overall D points and 34th in D ES points, while also being a +7 on a losing team.

He's got flaws and most of them are without the puck in his own zone. But he is a net positive and an above-average NHL defenceman by both the eye test and the numbers.

There is no reasonable argument that can be made to support the bold.

It is one element of many that a defenseman should be able to do, but not remotely the most important. Defending would be number one.

 

[Dingo44]

 

[Chainshot]

Maybe a little less brotherly love, less turn the other cheek and a bit more turn over some tables and whip some people's asses there Owen.