Prospects Update | Mair discusses Sabres at World Juniors

Adam Mair represented Canada at the IIHF World Junior Championship in 1999, serving as an alternate captain and taking home a silver medal. He knows firsthand what the tournament can mean to young players.
"For a lot of these players, this tournament is something that they've aspired to throughout their young careers," Mair said.
The Sabres have four prospects participating in this year's event, which begins Dec. 26 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Albert. Forwards Isak Rosen (Sweden) and Jakub Konecny (Czechia) and defensemen Owen Power (Canada) and Nikita Novikov (Russia) will suit up for their countries in pursuit of a gold medal.
Sabres.com caught up with Mair - in his first season as the team's director of player development - to discuss each of the four prospects.

Owen Power, LHD - Canada

Power has met - perhaps even exceeded - expectations as a sophomore at the University of Michigan after being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in July. His 23 points are tied for 10th among NCAA players, first among defensemen. He is an all-situations player for one of the nation's top teams.
Mair has been most impressed with who Power is off the ice.
"He is a hardworking, driven player," Mair said. "Very humble, comes from a good family. A lot of the players of his caliber have those characteristics, but just his willingness to accept feedback and want to get better on a daily basis (has stood out)."

Of course, expectations will always be present for a first-overall draft choice. This tournament - playing for a hockey-crazed country on its home turf - will be no exception. Power himself set a mighty precedent playing at the men's World Championship in the spring, where he shouldered top-pair minutes against pro competition.
"I think that's going to be something to watch for," Mair said. "There's gonna be a lot of media attention on that team and on him in particular. I think that's something we've talked to him about is just his ability to go out and play his game and put those other distractions aside."

Isak Rosen, RW - Sweden

Rosen was Buffalo's other first-round choice in 2021, taken with the 14th overall pick. He was touted as a dynamic goal scorer, evidenced by his performance at the U-18 World Championship in May. Rosen scored seven goals in seven games, earning recognition as one of Sweden's top three players.
Here, we begin to see a pattern. Rosen, Novikov, and Konecny all have spent this season playing against men in their respective countries' top pro leagues. This tournament will serve as a chance to evaluate them against the top players in their age group.
Rosen has four points (2+2) in 26 games with Leksands IF of the Swedish Hockey League.

"The games that that I've watched live, he's on the power play, he plays the flank position," Mair said. "He uses that one timer and that quick release to get pucks on net and he can score from distance, so he's got a very good shot. His top-end speed is excellent. In open ice, he's very dangerous, he's a threat off the rush. And then he's got very high IQ and very good skill.
"So, he's got offensive tools and offensive potential. That's what our scouts saw in him when they drafted them, and that's what our development staff sees in him now and we're excited to work with him on kind of maximizing those abilities."
Oh, and one more caveat: the 18-year-old will be eligible to play World Juniors again in 2023.

Nikita Novikov, LHD - Russia

Novikov was the last of three Russians selected by the Sabres during this year's draft (sixth round, 188th overall). The 6-foot-4, 207-pound defenseman has played 30 games with Dynamo Moscow of the KHL, tallying a goal and three assists.
Like Rosen, he cracked the World Juniors roster as an 18-year-old and will be eligible to return next year.
"It's extremely difficult for those young players to take a step to the KHL," Mair said. "A lot of the top talent from Sweden, from Russia, from Finland, from Czech, they all jump over and play in the KHL. It is really a good league, a fast league, a skilled league.
"The fact that he's been able to play 30 games there, compete against men is very impressive. He's been in that sixth or seventh defenseman spot playing anywhere from eight to 12 minutes. We've been happy with his development and the fact that he's playing against men in a very good league."
Novikov tallied five assists in seven games at the U-18 World Championship. Mair said the organization views him as being on the early end of his development curve.
"He's a defender, a big-body guy that is smart and efficient with the puck," Mair said. "Down in the corners and around the net-front, he has a little bit of heaviness and assertiveness there as that big body. … We think there's a lot of room for growth there."

Jakub Konecny, C - Czechia

Konecny was drafted by the Sabres during the seventh round in 2020. He made the jump this season to Czechia's top pro league, where he's tallied seven points (4+3) in 24 games with HC Sparta Praha.
"I think he's got a great motor, first of all," Mair said. "He's a competitive kid, his feet are always moving, and he plays with a quick mind. Yes, his speed is good. He plays fast, and I think that's important. … But he also plays fast in his mind and in his motor. That determination, I think, is something that sticks out for him."