Power named finalist for Calder Memorial Trophy

Don Granato stated his case for Owen Power outside the visiting dressing room at Canada Life Centre in January, after the defenseman had added another feat to his already remarkable rookie season by scoring for the third straight game in the Sabres' win over the Winnipeg Jets.

"I know he hasn't been talked about for rookie of the year," the Buffalo Sabres coach said. "It's astonishing to me, because I don't know how he couldn't be.

"What he does on a nightly basis is just amazing when you factor in his age and lack of experience in our league, to dominate situations and really full games the way he does."

The league took notice. Power was named Wednesday as one of three finalists for the Calder Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL's top rookie. He joins former University of Michigan teammate and current Seattle Kraken forward Matty Beniers and Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner as finalists.

The winner will be announced on June 26 during the 2023 NHL Awards in Nashville.

Voting was conducted via a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers Association at the end of the regular season. Each voter ranked the top five candidates on a 10-7-5-3-1 points system.

The Sabres have had three Calder winners in franchise history: Gilbert Perreault in 1971, Tom Barrasso in 1984, and Tyler Myers in 2010.

Power excelled as a rookie while playing at an historical rate for his age. He led rookies in average time on ice (23:48) and ranked fifth among all NHL skaters in even-strength ice time (1,634:47).

Power's average even-strength time on ice (20:44) was the highest mark by an NHL rookie since the league began tracking the statistic during the 1997-98 season.

The way Power handled the responsibility - he ranked fifth on the Sabres with a plus-10 rating and boasted a positive shot-attempts percentage at 52.2 - was enough to impress Rasmus Dahlin, a fellow first-overall pick (and Calder Trophy finalist) on defense.

"He does so much out there that he doesn't get credit for," Dahlin said. "He's always at the right spot at the right time. He barely makes any mistakes. He never gets tired playing that way. It just looks like he's floating around there but he's so smart. He's always at the right spot. He can log even more minutes I think because the way he plays. It's fun to watch."

Power was touted for his poise in the defensive zone entering the 2021 NHL Draft, when he was viewed as the consensus top prospect. That image was solidified over the ensuing year with high-leverage, top-pair roles for Team Canada at both the IIHF World Championship and the Beijing Olympics, as well as during his excellent sophomore season at the University of Michigan.

His cool-headed demeanor transitioned seamlessly to the best league in the world.

"Owen doesn't tighten up in pressure situations," Granato said last month. "So, if the other guy does because it's more pressure, if the clock's winding down and he flinches first, Owen's probably going to take advantage of that. And that's what great players do.

"… So, I do feel the biggest part of his game is - and why he's been able to play in the NHL at a very young age is - he doesn't feel pressure like other players do. There's a lot of reasons for that. But that's the essence of it."

Power credits his calm disposition to experience and nature.

"I played a lot of hockey in different situations," he said. "So, I think that's helped. But I think just also that's kind of my personality. I'm not too stressed about much, really, so I think that kind of flows onto the ice and I think it helps me a lot."

Power's poise was always viewed as a strength. His offensive instincts were less discussed at the time of his draft. He led rookie defensemen in assists (31) and points (35) this season, anchoring the Sabres' second power-play unit. The Sabres generated 74.41 expected goals when Power was on the ice at 5-on-5, first among rookies by nearly 20 (according to Natural Stat Trick).

At all strengths, Power led rookie defensemen with 100 individual scoring chances. They finally started finding the back of the net beginning with his overtime goal in Dallas on January 23, which ignited the first three-game goal-scoring streak by a rookie defenseman in Sabres history.

"I think the guy's well beyond his years," Sabres goaltender Craig Anderson said that night. "He's got a long stick, good defensively, usually he's on the right side of the puck. He's still learning but as far as a guy that you can count on, I think it's very rare that you can count on a 20-year-old to play that kind of minutes in this league and he's showing that he can do it on a regular basis.

"He's a big part of this squad as far as where we're at and where we're going."