r The Buffalo Sabres have made the Owen Power extension happen. Team officials announced a seven-year deal on Wednesday afternoon. Power was a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy last season, receiving 929 total votes for third place. He will make $8.35 million a year beginning in the 2024-25 season; this season is the final year of his entry-level contract. The Owen Power extension comes just two days after Rasmus Dahlin signed an extension for eight years.
OP’S IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL‼️
We have signed defenseman Owen Power to a seven-year contract with an AAV of $8.35 million.
Details: https://t.co/Mp4jy4QOi1 pic.twitter.com/PnEDOucaal
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) October 11, 2023
Power, the first overall selection of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, was named to the 2022-23 All-Rookie Team in addition to his third-place finish in Rookie of the Year voting. He played 79 games for the Sabres last season and recorded 1880 minutes of ice time, second only to Dahlin among Buffalo skaters–and fifth in the NHL in even-strength time (1,634:47).
Owen Power Extension Signed by Buffalo
Following the Owen Power extension, the Sabres have five skaters currently younger than 26 on contracts for the next seven years. Three of them are defensemen: Power, Dahlin, and Mattias Saumelsson. Forwards Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens are the other two. All but Samuelsson played at least 75 games last season and finished in team’s top 10 points contributors. This season, Buffalo is one of the youngest teams in the league by average age. This is only surpassed by the Columbus Blue Jackets and New Jersey Devils.
Prior to joining the NHL, Power played two seasons for the University of Michigan in the NCAA. In his sophomore year, he recorded 32 points in 33 games and led the Wolverines with 50 blocked shots. He was a two-time Big Ten Tournament champion and NCAA National Tournament runner-up.
What It Means
At age 19, Power was a member of Team Canada in the 2022 Winter Olympics. Power played five games and recorded one assist. He also represented Canada at the 2021 IIHF World Championship, skating in 10 games as the only 18-year-old on the squad. He had two shots on goal in 24:17 of ice time during the gold medal game against Finland.
