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Owen Power

Buffalo Sabres Sign Owen Power To Seven-Year Extension

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The Buffalo Sabres have signed 2021 first-overall pick Owen Power to a seven-year contract extension carrying an $8.35MM cap hit, the team announced Wednesday night. Per PuckPedia, Power’s total compensation equals $8.35MM in all seven seasons of the contract, which begins in 2024-25, except that he’s due a $2MM signing bonus when the contract begins next summer. He is only eligible for trade protection in the final two seasons of the deal, during which he’ll have a five-team no-trade list.

Buffalo’s cornerstone defenders are now locked up together through the 2030-31 season. Rasmus Dahlin signed an eight-year, $88MM extension two days ago that takes him through the 2031-32 campaign, one season past Power. Power’s agent, Pat Brisson, tells TSN’s Pierre LeBrun that extension talks accelerated over the past few days “with a mutual desire to get it done before opening night.”

It’s quite a significant long-term commitment for a player with just one full NHL season under their belt, but it’s a trend we’re seeing quickly come into view with young defensemen. The Ottawa Senators signed a similar eight-year, $64MM extension with rising sophomore defender Jake Sanderson over a month ago.

Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams has not been shy about getting his core locked up long-term. Tage Thompson, Dylan Cozens and Mattias Samuelsson are also all signed through at least the 2029-30 campaign.

Power, 20, finished third in Calder Trophy voting last season behind Edmonton Oilers netminder Stuart Skinner and former University of Michigan teammate and Kraken center Matthew Beniers. He notched 35 points in 79 contests and posted solid possession metrics, showing some room for improvement defensively but displayed the elite play-driving senses and 6-foot-6 frame that earned him the first-overall choice over two years ago.

Those numbers are even more impressive considering the role he was able to carve out for himself, still managing to average nearly 24 minutes per game despite playing second fiddle to Dahlin. His 23:48 average places him fifth all-time among defenders in their rookie season and the highest since Drew Doughty averaged 23:50 for the Kings in his rookie campaign, 2008-09.

The contract keeps Dahlin and Power anchoring the Sabres’ top two defense pairings for the better part of the next decade for a combined cost of $19.35MM per season. CapFriendly now projects the Sabres with $25MM in cap space next season with a roster size of 12. Their most notable unsigned talent for next season is center Casey Mittelstadt, who is a pending restricted free agent with arbitration rights.

On that note, this extension offers Power a direct path to unrestricted free agency after just his rookie season. The contract buys out two UFA seasons.

This season is the third and final one of his entry-level contract, meaning his services will come at the cost of just $917K against the cap for another year before the massive extension kicks in. He’s projected to reprise his role on the team’s second pairing behind Dahlin, likely flanked by Henri Jokiharju on his right.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Atlantic Notes: Leafs Hires, DeBrusk, Power

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced a few staff changes, notably hiring ex-NHLers in off-ice roles. Per the announcement, former Maple Leafs backup goalie Curtis McElhinney has been hired as the team’s Director of Goaltending Development and Scouting, defenseman Jake Muzzin has been named a pro scout, and Chris Bourque will be a college free agent scout.

The most notable announcement here is that of Muzzin, as he still has an active playing contract with the Maple Leafs. As noted on CapFriendly, Muzzin is set to spend the season on long-term injured reserve as repeated injuries have ended his playing career. This announcement confirms that although Muzzin won’t provide his services on the ice with Toronto, he’ll still contribute to the organization’s success in an off-ice role.

Some more notes from what is expected to be a hotly contested Atlantic Division:

  • After scoring 27 goals and 50 points last season, Jake DeBrusk has cemented himself as a capable NHL goal scorer just entering the prime of his career. With an expiring $4MM AAV contract, DeBrusk is in a position to hit the unrestricted free-agent market next summer. The Boston Bruins, who selected DeBrusk 14th overall at the 2015 draft, are expected to make a push to retain their three-time 25-goal scorer, and Bruins GM Don Sweeney confirmed to reporters today (including Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub) that there are currently “ongoing discussions” regarding a new deal for DeBrusk.
  • Buffalo Sabres franchise defenseman Rasmus Dahlin earned a massive eight-year, $11MM AAV contract extension from the club today. As a result, focus has shifted to 2021 first-overall pick Owen Power and the significant contract extension he might receive. The Times Herald’s Bill Hoppe relays word from Sabres GM Kevyn Adams that Adams is “still talking” to Power’s representatives regarding a contract extension. Power’s deal would undoubtedly come in at a lower cost than Dahlin’s, though the price is still expected to be significant. 2020 fifth overall pick Jake Sanderson earned an $8.05MM AAV on an eight-year contract from the Ottawa Senators after a 32-point rookie season. Power is a few months younger than Sanderson and scored 35 points in his own impressive rookie year, so it’s possible that Power’s next contract exceeds Sanderson’s AAV, if only by a small margin, should the parties involved agree on an eight-year term for the extension.

Sabres Notes: Savoie, Dahlin and Power, Quinn

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In a recent interview, Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said that Matthew Savoie is considered week-to-week with a left shoulder injury. This timeline puts Savoie at risk of missing the entirety of training camp, although Adams did mention there’s a chance that Savoie will be back before camp closes.

Either way, this is a tough blow for a player that many felt could break into the NHL lineup. Buffalo drafted Savoie ninth overall in the 2022 NHL Draft. As an encore to his strong draft year, Savoie put up 38 goals and 95 points in 62 WHL games last season, adding an additional 29 points in 19 playoff games. His regular season scoring ranked seventh in the league in total points and sixth in points per game. Now 19, there’s reason to question whether Savoie would benefit from another year in the WHL. To this end, the Sabres tried to petition the juniors league to provide Savoie with the same CHL exemption that Shane Wright recently received, although Buffalo isn’t optimistic that Savoie will receive it. With injury holding him out of the bulk of camp, it will be interesting to see where Savoie ends up this season.

Other Sabres Notes:

  • Adams also spoke to the intensifying contract negotiations the team is having with star defenders Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power. Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski recently shared that Buffalo may have Dahlin inked to a long-term extension before the regular season begins, although the negotiations with Power seem to be a new development. The former first-overall pick will become a free agent next summer, although Buffalo will have exclusive negotiation rights as Power hasn’t accrued enough games to earn full RFA status. That certainly gives the team a leg up in talks, something that could be helpful, as Lysowski mentions the likelihood of Power signing a bridge deal to make room for Dahlin’s extension.
  • Adams also provided an update on Jack Quinn’s injury status, sharing that the winger is progressing well from his rehab but there is still a lot of work to be done before he’s fully back to action. Quinn ruptured his Achilles tendon and underwent surgery in June of this year. He was listed as being out for four to six months following the surgery, so it seems Quinn is progressing as expected. Quinn scored 14 goals and 37 points in 75 games last season, his rookie year in the NHL.

Snapshots: Power, Spooner, Oilers

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The Sabres are trying to work on a long-term extension for defenseman Owen Power, relays Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News.  The top pick in 2021 is already into the final year of his entry-level contract despite having just 87 career professional appearances under his belt.  79 of those came with Buffalo last season where he did well, collecting 35 points while averaging nearly 24 minutes per game which helped him finish third in Calder Trophy voting as the NHL’s top rookie.  With barely one full season of experience, a long-term agreement could be difficult to come to, one that would likely surpass the $8MM mark.  One alternative the two sides could take is to do what they did with their other first-overall blueliner (Rasmus Dahlin) and work on a bridge agreement.  However, that type of move might be better off being made next summer instead of this one.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Long-time NHL forward is on the move in the KHL as Avangard Omsk announced they’ve added the 31-year-old on a one-year contract. Spooner recorded 167 points in 315 games across seven NHL seasons with four different organizations but has played overseas since the 2019-20 campaign.  Last season, he had 19 goals and 28 assists during the regular season for Dinamo Minsk, good for a tie for 21st in league scoring.
  • Postmedia’s Kurt Leavins suggests that the Oilers should be a team to keep an eye on when it comes to tryout offers closer to the start of training camp. Depending on what happens with the eventual new contract for RFA defenseman Evan Bouchard, Edmonton is likely going to need to have several players on the roster at the league minimum salary.  They added a couple of those early in free agency (Lane Pederson and Drake Caggiula) but as the asking price comes down for free agents still unsigned, it could be an opportunity for the Oilers to bring in a low-cost upgrade.

2023 NHL Awards Winners

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2023 The NHL Awards were given out tonight in Nashville. The ceremony kicks off what should be a busy week as teams continue to prepare for the NHL Entry Draft and free agency, which begins on July 1st.

Here is the full list of winners, with the top two runners-up in each category:

Calder Trophy – Top Rookie

Winner: Matthew Beniers (Kraken)

Runners-Up: Owen Power (Sabres), Stuart Skinner (Oilers)

Voting Results

Norris Trophy – Top Defenseman

Winner: Erik Karlsson (Sharks)

Runners-Up: Adam Fox (Rangers), Cale Makar (Avalanche)

Voting Results

Ted Lindsay Award – Most Outstanding Player (as voted by the players)

Winner: Connor McDavid (Oilers)

Runners-Up: Erik Karlsson (Sharks), David Pastrnak (Bruins)

Lady Byng Trophy – Most Gentlemanly Player

Winner: Anze Kopitar (Kings)

Runners-Up: Jack Hughes (Devils), Brayden Point (Lightning)

Voting Results

Hart Trophy – Most Valuable Player

Winner: Connor McDavid (Oilers)

Runners-Up: David Pastrnak (Bruins), Matthew Tkachuk (Panthers)

Voting Results

Vezina Trophy – Goaltender Of The Year

Winner: Linus Ullmark (Bruins)

Runner-Ups: Connor Hellebuyck (Jets), Ilya Sorokin (Islanders)

Voting Results

Selke Trophy – Best Defensive Forward

Winner: Patrice Bergeron (Bruins)

Runners-Up: Mitchell Marner (Maple Leafs), Nico Hischier (Devils)

Voting Results

Jack Adams Award – Coach Of The Year

Winner: Jim Montgomery (Bruins)

Runners-Up: Dave Hakstol (Kraken), Lindy Ruff (Devils)

Voting Results

Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy – Perseverance, Sportsmanship, and Dedication

Winner: Kris Letang (Penguins)

Runners-Up: Clayton Keller (Coyotes), Alex Stalock (Blackhawks)

King Clancy Memorial Trophy – Humanitarian

Winner: Mikael Backlund (Flames)

Runners-Up: Anders Lee (Islanders), Darnell Nurse (Oilers)

Mark Messier Leadership Award

Winner: Steven Stamkos (Lightning)

E.J. McGuire Award – Prospect Commitment to Excellence

Winner: Connor Bedard (Regina Pats, WHL)

 

Congratulations to all the winners and the nominees.

Matty Beniers Wins 2023 Calder Memorial Trophy

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Seattle Kraken forward Matty Beniers has been crowned the Calder Memorial Trophy winner as the league’s top rookie. Beniers beat out Edmonton Oilers netminder Stuart Skinner and Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power for the award.

Beniers was drafted by the Kraken second overall in 2021 and burst onto the scene this year, finishing the year tied for the rookie lead with 24 goals while he led all rookies with 57 points. The 20-year-old was asked to do a lot for the Kraken and was a big part of why the club reached the playoffs in just their second season of existence.

The native of Hingham, Massachusetts, played over 17 minutes a night in his rookie season and was a solid two-way contributor for the team. Despite being a rookie, Beniers rarely resorted to cheating, as he took just a single minor penalty this season and appeared extremely detail-oriented in the defensive zone.

Beniers continued his good showing in the playoffs helping Seattle knock off the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in the first round. He had three goals and four assists in 14 playoff games and was a big reason Seattle was able to push for their first series win.

The Calder Trophy puts a cap on what has been an incredible rookie season in what is sure to be a long and productive NHL career.

Atlantic Notes: Hoffman, Power, Gauthier

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The Canadiens appear to be open to moving winger Mike Hoffman for no return, reports Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli.  The 33-year-old signed with Montreal two years ago in the hopes of adding some offense and pop to their power play.  However, his goal-per-game outputs the last two years were the lowest of his career while their success rate with the man advantage remains near the bottom of the league.  Hoffman has one year left on his contract with a $4.5MM AAV and it seems that the Canadiens are simply hoping that someone will take a flyer on someone whose longer-term track record as a sniper has been strong.  However, with so many other teams either wanting or needing to make a move like that, they may not be able to make a move like that.  Seravalli adds that Montreal isn’t willing to buy him out.

More from the Atlantic Division:

  • Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News examined some possible comparable contracts for defenseman Owen Power who is eligible to sign an extension in July. If the two sides want to work out a max-term contract, the deals for Florida blueliner Aaron Ekblad or Dallas rearguard Miro Heiskanen could be the range.  Ekblad checks in at $7.5MM while Heiskanen’s deal, signed just last summer, is $8.45MM.  Meanwhile, if the two sides want to do a bridge contract, Sabres GM Kevyn Adams doesn’t have to look very far as teammate Rasmus Dahlin’s current deal (three years, $6MM AAV) should stand as a rough barometer for what a short-term deal for Power would cost.  Dahlin is also extension-eligible this summer and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Adams take a run at getting them both locked up early.
  • Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch notes that the Senators are undecided about qualifying winger Julien Gauthier later this month. The 25-year-old was acquired late in the season as part of the Tyler Motte trade and held his own down the stretch, notching five points in 17 games.  Owed a tender of just $840K, the hesitance would seem to revolve around his arbitration eligibility.  While his career numbers wouldn’t land him a significant raise by any stretch, it could push his price tag higher than Ottawa is comfortable paying.

Evening Notes: Sabres, Bezeau, USHL

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Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reported today that the Buffalo Sabres are in contract discussions with a pair of former first overall picks. The Sabres are trying to work out extensions with franchise defenseman Rasmus Dahlin as well as Owen Power who was a workhorse in his rookie season. Both men are eligible for to sign contract extensions on July 1st and have expressed interest in inking long-term with the Sabres. Lysowski acknowledges that the Sabres don’t have any rush to sign either man to an extension as they both still have a year left on their current deals, but if they were to get the new contracts done on July 1st it would give the Sabres some cost certainty as they head into free agency at what is a critical point in their rebuild.

Dahlin will be looking for a long-term contract and could get something in the range of $9MM to $10MM on a long-term deal. The Swedish defender is coming off a season in which he put up 15 goals and 58 assists in 78 games while playing almost 26 minutes a night. For Power, he could sign long term but may elect to sign a bridge deal in the hopes of maximizing his earnings when he is more established and the salary cap has gone up. In his rookie season he played almost 24 minutes a night and had four goals and 31 assists in 79 games.

In other evening notes:

  • The Charlotte Checkers have announced that they have re-signed right winger Riley Bezeau to a two-year AHL contract. Bezeau spent this past season in the Queen City putting up five goals and three assists in 51 AHL games and finishing second on the team with 84PIM. The 21-year-old was previously an assistant captain of the Saint John Sea Dogs team that captured the Memorial Cup in 2021-22 in a season that saw him post 11 goals and 16 assists in 56 games.
  • The USHL announced today that Glenn Hefferan has been selected as the 11th president and commissioner in league history. Heffernan will take over on July 1st and is familiar with USA hockey having been a board and committee member for several years in various capacities as well as a member of the USA Hockey Executive Committee since June 2021. Back in 2012 Heffernan was awarded the Dr. John J. McMullen Award for service to New Jersey Amateur Hockey, an award he was given by the New Jersey Devils.

2023 Calder Trophy Finalists Announced

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This week, the NHL is revealing the finalists for its end-of-season awards.  On Wednesday, the Calder Trophy was front and center.  The league revealed that the finalists for its top rookie are Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner, Sabres defenseman Owen Power, and Kraken center Matthew Beniers.  The award is voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

Skinner came into this season as the presumptive backup behind Jack Campbell, Edmonton’s big summer signing to help shore up their goaltending.  However, it didn’t take long for him to start pushing for playing time, eventually taking over as the starter.  That helped him earn an All-Star nod midseason.  Skinner led all rookie netminders in victories with 29 and games played with 50 while ranking second among qualifying rookies (who had at least 25 GP) with a 2.75 and a .914 SV%.  While his playoff performance doesn’t count in voting which is done at the end of the season, he has started all six games for the Oilers who kick off their second-round series tonight against Vegas.  He’s looking to become the first goalie to win the award since Steve Mason did so in 2008-09.

Power, the first-overall selection in 2021, got his feet wet in the NHL down the stretch last season but 2022-23 was his first full NHL campaign.  It was an impressive one for the 20-year-old as he led all freshman rearguards in scoring with 35 points in 79 games.  Power also logged nearly 24 minutes a night, ranking him second on the team behind Rasmus Dahlin and inside the top 20 league-wide among all players, not just rookies.  Buffalo’s last winner of the Calder Trophy was defenseman Tyler Myers back in 2009-10.

As for Beniers, he was the second-overall pick in 2022 and followed the same path as Power, playing late last season but seeing his first full NHL campaign in 2022-23.  The 20-year-old led all rookies in scoring with 24 goals and 33 assists in 80 games while ranking fourth among first-year forwards in ATOI at just over 17 minutes a night.  Beniers only recorded one penalty all season, making him just the fourth player in NHL history to play in at least 80 games and have two penalty minutes or fewer.  He’ll be looking to become the first player from an expansion franchise to win the Calder Trophy within his team’s first two seasons since Peter Stastny (Quebec) won back in 1980-81.

The winner of the award will be revealed at the NHL Awards ceremony on June 26th.  Meanwhile, the finalists for the Norris Trophy are up next to be announced on Thursday.

Buffalo Sabres Hope To Extend Power And Dahlin

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The Buffalo News reporter Lance Lysowski reported today that Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams has expressed to the agents of Owen Power and Rasmus Dahlin that the team would like to sign both defensemen long term. The Sabres have been aggressive in locking up their young core to long term deals and this development would keep in line with that gameplan. Both players have a year left on their current contracts and would be restricted free agents in 2024, albeit with much different degrees of bargaining power.

Dahlin will be completing a three-year bridge contract and since his contract was backloaded, he will carry a qualifying offer of $7.2MM. The former first overall pick could simply accept the one-year deal and march into unrestricted free agency in summer 2025. Power on the other hand will have just completed his two-year entry-level contract and would only be due a qualifying offer just under $875K. He would also be ineligible for an offer sheet since he wouldn’t have enough service time to qualify as a Group 2 RFA. This could make for an interesting negotiation and keep the average annual value down.

Dahlin is coming off a career season in which he put up 15 goals and 58 assists in 78 games. He teased his offensive prowess in recent seasons but this season he was finally able to breakthrough and produce like an elite offensive defenseman. The 23-year-old Swede, along with Power led a defensive unit that backed the Sabres to their highest point total since 2010-11, the last time the club made the playoffs.

Power on the other hand just completed his first full NHL season and ranked second in 5-on-5 ice time per game played (19:46) among all NHL skaters. On the offensive side, Power had four goals and 31 assists in 79 games and helped spark the Sabres second defensive pairing. He played a little over half of the powerplay time that Dahlin played and only managed eight assists on the man advantage. Should Power see more time on the powerplay, he could see a large uptick on his point totals.

While there is an element of risk in any extension the Sabres have not shied away from taking the plunge. When Buffalo signed Tage Thompson to a seven year $50MM contract extension last August many felt that they had rushed to judgment and could end up with a bloated overpay. However, Thompson followed up his new contract with a second straight career year, finishing with 94 points in 78 games. One could make a similar argument for Power who has played just a single full NHL season, however in the case of Dahlin, he has demonstrated a half decade of impressive play and appears to only be getting better.

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