5 things to know about Owen Power

Owen Power is officially a member of the Buffalo Sabres.
The Sabres signed Power to a three-year, entry-level contract on Friday, less than 24 hours after his sophomore season ended with the University of Michigan.
Here are five things to know about the 19-year-old defenseman.

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1. His sophomore season

Power opted to return to the University of Michigan for his sophomore season after being selected by the Sabres with the No. 1 pick in last summer's NHL Draft.
His decision was driven by Michigan's potential for a national championship. His freshman campaign - already atypical due to the COVID-19 pandemic - was cut short when a positive test forced the Wolverines to forfeit their opening game of the NCAA Tournament.
The championship run fell short when Michigan lost to Denver in the Frozen Four on Thursday. But Power made the most of his sophomore campaign, tallying 32 points (3+29) in 33 games.
His 0.97 points per game ranked third among NCAA defensemen.
"Owen's extremely self-aware of his game, what he does well, what he wants to work on," Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said. "Whenever I go watch him play and I talk to him after a game, he immediately gives a breakdown of his games: 'I liked what I did here, I think I need to do better there.'
"It's impressive at a young age to see that. And I think part of his mindset of going back for this year was to grow and he's attacked the season. This player to me sums up the type of people we want on the Buffalo Sabres and in our locker room, people that get up every day and want to be better."

2. The national stage

Returning to school also opened the door for Power to represent Canada at the World Junior Championship, where he became the first Canadian defenseman in tournament history to score a hat trick (the event was later postponed due to COVID-19).

Power then played for Canada at the Beijing Olympics, where he led the team in average ice time (21:38).

3. Mississauga kid

Power is from Mississauga, Ont., a half hour outside Toronto and a 90-minute drive up the QEW from Buffalo. He made the cross-border trip often growing up and attended Sabres games with his family.
"I always remember my mom and my aunts loved going down for the shopping and we'd always go see games," he said. "The family always looked forward to those trips and had a lot of fun down there."

4. The player

Power's 6-foot-6 build is his most striking feature at first glance. But it's how he combines his size with poise and mobility that sets him apart.
Sabres director of amateur scouting Jerry Forton detailed the defenseman's gifts during a pre-draft meeting with other members of the front office, as captured in an episode of Buffalo Sabres: Embedded. Watch the full episode below.

"What would separate Power for me, agility, mobility, athleticism," Forton says. "He has that in spades. This kid has a very mature understanding of what his identity is, how the game is supposed to be played, and I am convinced his character is as high as you're going to find in the draft."

5. Looking ahead

Should he play for the Sabres this season, Power would join a defense corps that already includes five players under the age 25 or younger: Rasmus Dahlin, Henri Jokiharju, Mattias Samuelsson, Casey Fitzgerald, and Jacob Bryson.
The Sabres have three games remaining on their current road trip: Friday at Florida, Sunday at Tampa Bay, and Tuesday at Toronto. Their next home game is Thursday against St. Louis.