Owen Power leaning towards returning to Michigan

[WarriorofTime]

They were at completely different stages of their development. Wheeler wasn’t going to play in the NHL out of HS or the USHL. Power already has a season in the USHL and College. He would have to wait much longer to get to start his professional career in comparison. By the time Wheeler was at the stage that Power is at now, he had to wait one season. Power will have to play three more college seasons before he is a FA.

It's all about leverage though, my point being if Power decides he does not want to play for Buffalo he has options at his disposal

 

[Mickey the mouse]

Off the top of my head, he could get drafted, refuse to sign for two seasons, and re-enter the 2023 draft. He could refuse to sign again and become a UFA in the 2024 or 2025 off season (don’t know which off the top of my head).

A Player drafted out of NCAA in their 1st year eligible for draft, Power is a late 2002 so this is his 1st year eligible, the team holds his rights for 4 years basically when his class graduates,
August 1st of 2024 he will become an UFA.

Will Butcher is an example and Jimmy Vesey

He does not re-enter draft

 

[Man Bear Pig]

Probably just trying to avoid being drafted by Buffalo

That doesn't really matter, they'd still own his rights and it's not like having him on the roster next year would suddenly vault the Sabres into a playoff team.

 

[WarriorofTime]

I think he's just weighing his options personally. He can go first overall, play another year in Michigan and see if the situation improves in Buffalo. Maybe a year from now he will want to sign, or he may decide to stay another year at school, the point is he knows he doesn't necessarily have to make a decision right now.

 

[Korpse]

It's all about leverage though, my point being if Power decides he does not want to play for Buffalo he has options at his disposal

Sure he has options, playing out his college career isn’t a very likely one though. Blake Wheeler isn’t an equal comparison.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Sure he has options, playing out his college career isn’t a very likely one though. Blake Wheeler isn’t an equal comparison.

Blake Wheeler was just an example, I wasn't saying they are one and the same.

 

[Dietpepsi]

As indicated above,

Based on articles, he'd be Buffalo's property for 4 years

A Delayed Penalty: The Jimmy Vesey Rule’s Impact on NHL Teams, Player Mobility, and College Hockey – The Hat Trick Herald

 

[CowbellConray]

The difference is Buffalo is currently a nightmare organization with debatably the worst ownership in the League that has a history of ruining promising prospects. Not just a team that had a rough season.

“Ruining”

Eichel has lived up to draft hype as a player
Reinhart has had several years of top line production and is slated to earn a fat contract
Dahlin set rookie teenage defensive records and will be paid too

If you want to claim team success has been poor, sure. But the Sabres haven’t ruined any top picks. The first overall pick goes to a bad team 99% of the time. They either build the team into a winner or they leave after 5-8 years

 

[WarriorofTime]

As indicated above,

Based on articles, he'd be Buffalo's property for 4 years

A Delayed Penalty: The Jimmy Vesey Rule’s Impact on NHL Teams, Player Mobility, and College Hockey – The Hat Trick Herald

No human being is "property", you can say that they hold his draft rights and he cannot sign with another team, but we shouldn't refer to people as the "property" of the companies they work for IMO.

 

[WarriorofTime]

“Ruining”

Eichel has lived up to draft hype as a player
Reinhart has had several years of top line production and is slated to earn a fat contract
Dahlin set rookie teenage defensive records and will be paid too

If you want to claim team success has been poor, sure. But the Sabres haven’t ruined any top picks. The first overall pick goes to a bad team 99% of the time. They either build the team into a winner or they leave after 5-8 years

You think players like losing 18 straight games? There is a reason Eichel is demanding a trade out.

 

[CowbellConray]

You think players like losing 18 straight games? There is a reason Eichel is demanding a trade out.

That’s not what you said. You said they ruin top prospects. All of their top 2 picks have had individual success. Team success and individual success are two different things. Let’s ignore that the Sabres were .500 with a legit goalie (Ullmark) but had to use SIX goalies this season due to injuries. The Sabres will have no problem bringing their top pick in whenever they feel they are ready

 

[kerrabria]

All the people in this thread saying "he isn't even thinking about refusing Buffalo" like as if they wouldn't think about refusing Buffalo if they were in his shoes.

 

[Little Psycho]

Jack Johnson also went back to Michigan and Carolina ended up trading him to LA

 

[WarriorofTime]

Jack Johnson also went back to Michigan and Carolina ended up trading him to LA

Thank you, another example. People are being ridiculous to say that Power is "forced" to play for Buffalo. If he doesn't want to play there, he doesn't have to. He is a human being, not cattle.

 

[tsujimoto74]

If Buffalo is a tire fire next year, the league may need to step in and offer advice to the terrible ownership.

The league's advice is a huge factor in causing Buffalo to be in the mess it is. Both Tim Murray and Jason Botterill came recommended by the NHL, and they were both colossal morons.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

Thank you, another example. People are being ridiculous to say that Power is "forced" to play for Buffalo. If he doesn't want to play there, he doesn't have to. He is a human being, not cattle.

Then Buffalo should be smart and forfeit their draft picks so nobody has to play for that shitty franchise. Or the NHL should fold them.

 

[gstommylee]

Thank you, another example. People are being ridiculous to say that Power is "forced" to play for Buffalo. If he doesn't want to play there, he doesn't have to. He is a human being, not cattle.

And it would be dumb to throw away millions of dollars just to be that picky.

 

[Meichel Kane]

If he waited out four years rather than play for Buffalo, he'd be signing an entry-level contract in 2025, yes? Rather than being on year 2 of a (potentially) large RFA deal. That seems... unwise.

I feel like we did this same dance with Eichel.

 

[gstommylee]

You think players like losing 18 straight games? There is a reason Eichel is demanding a trade out.

That has nothing to do with why Eichel is demanding out. He wants to have a disc replacement that the sabres won't sign off on.

 

[gstommylee]

If he waited out four years rather than play for Buffalo, he'd be signing an entry-level contract in 2025, yes? Rather than being on year 2 of a (potentially) large RFA deal. That seems... unwise.

I feel like we did this same dance with Eichel.

That's exactly what i mean. He loses out a few years of million 6-7+ millions of dollars once he hits RFA/UFA stage.

 

[Nikolajs Sillers]

Can't he just sign as a free agent with any team.

Yeah, why not. We not need draft anymore

 

[Kranix]

He cares about his studies

 

[Fatass]

IMO Power comes out and pláys for Buffalo in year one. The he is out of his elc in the same year he would have been a UFA if he stayed all four years in college. He is three years ahead and earning second contract money, which could be worth 10’s if millions to him. Financially he comes out right away.

 

[WarriorofTime]

He cares about his studies

lol, got a good chuckle out of that

 

[Lunatik]

Indeed. Lots of assumption that he’s leaning towards playing one more season at Michigan to avoid having to play for the Sabres. Maybe he just thinks it’s better for his development and isn’t actually trying to avoid the Sabres? That seems much more likely to me.

Of course, it’s not like I know the kid. I could be completely wrong.

Sabres seem like a team looking for help now, so their top pick not even being an option next year maybe sway them in another direction with how the rankings are; this isn't a draft where there is just one guy that is guaranteed to go #1