Power practices on defense pair with Jokiharju on eve of NHL debut

TORONTO - Owen Power drifted to the center of the circle, his new teammates shouting and clapping their sticks against the ice around him.
Power had just completed his first full NHL practice amid the familiar surroundings of the Ford Performance Center, a four-rink complex that doubles as the Toronto Maple Leafs' practice facility. His parents, Zee and Trish, watched from the other side of the glass.
"I grew up in this building," Power said with a smile.

He still is. The 19-year-old defenseman continued his acclimation to the Sabres on Monday, the eve of his NHL debut against the Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena.
His first defense partner will be Henri Jokiharju, a 22-year-old who has already taken on veteran status alongside Rasmus Dahlin this season.
Sabres coach Don Granato said both Dahlin and Jokiharju had spoken about who would play with Power before he even joined the team.
"It feels right," Granato said of pairing Power with Jokiharju. "I think the most important thing for us is to support Owen as best as we can as a team. We have 18 guys on the ice that know our system up and down the rink. We just have to allow Owen to play and allow him to adapt and acclimate to the NHL. I think we have many guys that will help in that initiative."
Jokiharju chatted with Power between drills but stayed careful not to overwhelm the rookie.
"You don't want to get in his head too much," Jokiharju said "There's a reason why he's the first overall pick. I just try to help him. He's going to do his own stuff and that's why he's here, right? … My job is pretty easy."

Dahlin can empathize with Power on a rare level, having been the No. 1 overall pick himself in 2018. He went through it all - the expectations, the scrutiny, the oversized media scrums like the one that awaited Power inside an auxiliary locker room Monday.
He is also a living blueprint for how to overcome those factors, having evolved into an All-Star and an alternate captain in his fourth season.
"It for sure doesn't help you to listen to it, so that's going to be my advice to him," Dahlin said of pushing through expectations. "Just be patient and you will eventually develop as the player you will be. He's a super-skilled and great defenseman, so I'm not worried at all."

Granato said he looked forward to having Dahlin and Power together since the latter was drafted last July.
"Rasmus Dahlin is amazing, the team-first attitude he has," Granato said. "It's just an instinctive attitude. He has been talking about Owen and his arrival for some time before this week. Excited to meet Owen, to be around Owen and you can see that."
That excitement extended to all the Sabres who surrounded Power after practice, eager to celebrate the arrival of their newest teammate.
"I think every guy just been so good, especially to me coming in," Power said. "Everyone's been so welcoming and so nice to me. They're always trying to include me in everything. I think they've done a great job making it easy for me to kind of come in and adjust."

Monday's practice

Dahlin, a left shot, shifted to the right side on a pair with Mattias Samuelsson. He played the right side prior to joining the Sabres and at times in the NHL but has spent this season on the left.
"I might try it a couple shifts, if it doesn't go my way I'll go back," Dahlin deadpanned. "But, no, before I came to [the Sabres] I was a right D. There's more upside to the offense on the right side, I feel like. So, we'll see. But I will take my time, too. No rush."
Cody Eakin practiced after missing Sunday's game in Tampa with what Granato described as soreness. His status for the game against the Maple Leafs will be determined Monday.