With about three weeks to go until Round 1 of the 2021 NHL Draft gets underway, the projected No. 1 overall pick has said he's yet to talk with the Buffalo Sabres.
In a recent interview with Mike Morreale from NHL.com, University of Michigan defenseman Owen Power says that he has yet to interview with the Sabres, who will pick first overall when the draft begins on Friday, July 23.
"I've probably interviewed between 10-15 NHL teams at some point during the year, and then some after the [2021 IIHF World Championship], so it's been a decent amount," Power said with Morreale on Wednesday. "I still haven't talked to [Buffalo]."
When asked about a potential interview with the Sabres, Power did not have an answer as to when it could take place.
The 18-year-old defenseman has been regarded, by many, as the consensus No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 draft class. Standing at 6-foot-6 and 214 pounds, Power is a smooth skating left-handed defender with very good vision and hockey sense to make his a potential top-pairing defender in the NHL.
Power up playing in 26 games this season for the Wolverines after a successful two years in the United States Hockey League playing with the Chicago Steel. As a freshman, he put up a very respectable 16 points (3+13), while also being named to the Big Ten All-Rookie Team, as well as a Big Ten Second-Team All-Star.
The Mississauga, Ontario native also got the chance to represent Canada at the 2021 IIHF World Championship in Latvia, where he played in all 10 games, averaged 20:07 of ice-time per-game, and put up three assists. Power was not utilized much to start the tournament for Canada, but by the end of the event, he became one of their top defenders to play in all situations.
Canada ended up winning the tournament after beating Finland, 3-2 in overtime in the gold medal game. Power finished the game playing 24:17 of ice-time, as he played on Canada's second pairing with Detroit Red Wings defenseman Troy Stecher.
Shortly after the tournament ended, Power said in an interview with "NHL Now" on NHL Network that he was leaning towards returning to school and playing out his sophomore season at Michigan. When speaking with Morreale on Wednesday, Power reiterated his feelings about returning to Ann Arbor for another season with the Wolverines.
"From my perspective, yes, I'm still kind of thinking the same way," he said. "I mean, obviously, what the team that picks me thinks and what my family and my advisers think will be a part of the conversation. But I think just the opportunity to win at Michigan and kind of get a true college experience is something that will factor in.
"We've got so many good guys and such a close group, and just being able to play with Luke [Hughes] and all the other guys would be pretty special."
It is possible that Power could change his mind and leave school to sign his entry-level contract in the NHL, but another year of development with Michigan would not be a bad option. There are still areas of Power's game that can use some more growth, and allowing him to play another year on a powerhouse program could do wonders for his development.
The Wolverines have two other players in the 2021 draft class who are projected to be top-10 picks in the NHL Draft. Matthew Beniers could potentially be the first forward off the board within the top-three of the draft, while Kent Johnson is projected to fall somewhere within the top-10 picks.
Luke Hughes is also joining the University of Michigan this upcoming season, and is also expected to be a top-10 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.
***Photo: Michigan Photography
