Power - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Ex-Sabre Rasmus Ristolainen welcomes fresh start after trade to Flyers

BUFFALO – In defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen’s first eight seasons, the Sabres morphed into the NHL’s laughingstock, finishing dead last four times and winning barely one-third of their games.

The constant losing and turmoil – Ristolainen played for a whopping six coaches and four general mangers, stunning numbers that illustrate the Sabres’ futility – wore on him. The straight-shooting Finn often voiced his frustration.

On Friday afternoon, hours before the Sabres picked Michigan defenseman Owen Power... Read the full article

Sabres select Michigan’s Owen Power first overall at NHL Draft

BUFFALO – As expected, the Sabres selected Michigan defenseman Owen Power first overall tonight at the NHL Draft.

Power, 18, ranked first on NHL Central Scouting’s final list of 2021 North American skaters.

The 6-foot-6, 213-pound Power, who has drawn comparisons to Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman, has said he is leaning toward returning to Michigan for his sophomore year.

Stay tuned for more updates. Power will be addressing the media via Zoom. The ... Read the full article

As offseason ramps up for NHL Draft, Sabres could start making trades

BUFFALO – Just after 8 tonight, the Sabres will add a potentially franchise-changing talent in defenseman Owen Power, winger William Eklund or one of the other special NHL Draft prospects available to be picked first overall.

But right now, the draft, a virtual event that starts with the first round tonight, almost feels secondary. The Sabres have hit a critical juncture during an offseason in which they could trade captain Jack Eichel, their ... Read the full article

NHL Draft: Sabres could land Hedman-type defenseman with Owen Power

Ex-NHL defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo knew Owen Power, the 18-year-old the Buffalo Sabres are expected to select first overall at the NHL Draft on Friday, was a special prospect.

Still, hulking defensemen in their teens – at 6-foot-6 and 213 pounds, Power already possesses a man’s body – are usually at least a little raw.

So when Colaiacovo watched Power earlier this month at the Power Edge Pro camp in Toronto, the up-close examination changed ... Read the full article

NHL Draft prospect Mason McTavish could give Sabres power forward

Last November, Mason McTavish started pursuing a temporary gig playing overseas. With the Ontario Hockey League season paused because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NHL Draft prospect needed to shake off the rust and showcase his talents.

Later that month, McTavish, a star center for the Peterborough Petes, thought he would be flying to Switzerland to play for Olten EHC. He was in Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Montreal ready to leave when he ... Read the full article

NHL Draft prospect William Eklund would be intriguing choice for Sabres

William Eklund believes playing another season in the Swedish Hockey League will benefit his development, so whichever team picks the winger early in Friday’s NHL Draft will likely have to wait a year for him.

“I have one more year in Europe to develop into a better player here,” Eklund, a winger who has spent the last two seasons with Djurgardens IF, said on a Zoom call July 6.

NHL Central Scouting ranked Eklund first ... Read the full article

Dylan Guenther could be too talented for Sabres to pass up at NHL Draft

NHL Draft prospect Dylan Guenther was just 15, a neophyte up for his first taste of major junior hockey. Still, despite being one of the league’s youngest players, the winger turned heads during his eight-game stint, utilizing his lethal shot to score three times.

“Dylan’s a shooter,” said Brad Lauer, Guenther’s coach with the Western Hockey League’s Edmonton Oil Kings. “Right from 15 when we had him, he scored three goals for us that some ... Read the full article

Owen Power to meet with Sabres this week, might return to Michigan

The COVID-19 pandemic deprived top NHL Draft prospect Owen Power of the full college experience as a freshman at Michigan.

Power, 18, played in empty rinks, meaning he never felt the rush of playing in front of 5,800 raucous fans at Yost Ice Arena, one of college hockey’s most historic venues. The defenseman had to take online classes, so he spent most of his time at Yost or home.

After Michigan compiled a 15-10-1 record ... Read the full article