The 2021 NHL Draft is certainly going to be one of the most unique drafts the National Hockey League has ever seen.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were a number of prospects eligible for this year's entry draft that did not get an opportunity to play a full season of hockey. Some prospects were able to find other league to play in to keep sharp with their games, while other prospects failed to find suitable ice-time to help improve their draft stock.
Junior hockey leagues, such as the Canadian Hockey League, were among the harder hit leagues this year due to COVID-19, as well as local and government restrictions. The Western Hockey League was only able to get in a small number of games this season, while the Ontario Hockey League did not even get a chance to start play this season.
Luckily for some prospects playing in Europe or at the collegiate level, they were able to get in full seasons or a majority of their 2020-21 campaigns despite some disruptions over the course of the year. Some of these players were able to gain a leg-up on the rest of the draft class, which allowed them to get plenty of attention from scouts and teams around the NHL.
With all that being said, this year's draft class also differs from many of the draft classes from years before. The primary difference is there is no clear-cut No. 1 prospect at the top of the class.
The 2021 NHL Draft will feature a number of prospects near the top of the board with potential to be high-caliber players at the NHL level. Players who are main contributors to their roster and looked upon as leaders on and off the ice. However, this class does not have that "generational-type" player at No. 1, nor does it have even one prospect that really stands out among the crowd.
When looking at the top of the 2021 draft class, it is a strong defensive group with 3-4 high-end prospects that will be looked upon once we get to Round 1 of the event on July 23. While the forward group at the top of the draft may not have as much high-end clout there are a few names that stand out above the rest of the group.
There is one prospect, though, that has risen to the challenge during the year and is seen by many around the game as the top player available in the 2021 NHL Draft. That player is University of Michigan defenseman Owen Power.
"Right now, he'd be my guy, and I would suspect that would be the case moving forward to when we get to the draft in July," said Sportsnet NHL Draft analyst Sam Cosentino in a recent appearance on the "Howard and Jeremy Show" on WGR. "If you look across the league, traditionally those players have longevity. They eat lots of minutes. They don't get hurt because they tend to be bigger and stronger than everyone else, yet this guy is a really, really good skater, a mobile, athletic guy. Maybe he lacks a little bit of bite in his game, but a really, really good player."
The 18-year-old defenseman ended 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. Just the season before in 2018-19, Power finished as the highest-scoring defenseman in the USHL with 40 points in 45 games, while also being named the USHL Defenseman of the Year.
As a freshman in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Power 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. Unfortunately for Power and the Wolverines, their run at the Frozen Four tournament as an at-large bid ended before it even began after the team pulled out of the NCAA tournament due to COVID-19.
The good news for the native of Mississauga, Ontario is he will get one more chance to show the world that he belongs atop the 2021 draft class when he plays for Team Canada at the 2021 IIHF World Championship starting Friday in Riga, Latvia.
The first that stands out about Power is his size on the blue line, officially coming in at 6-foot-5 and 214 pounds. It's hard not to pick out Power when he is on the ice at the collegiate level, as he stands quite tall among the group of players he's competing against.
Power is able to use his size to his advantage, especially when trying to gain position at either end of the rink. He's also got the advantage when carrying the puck and using his frame and strength to protect the puck,
While his size is something to behold as an 18-year-old, there's still room for overall growth and improvement in his size and his physical play.
"I spoke to Mel Pearson, the Michigan head coach prior to their tournament game... he told me this year from the start of the season 'til now, Owen Power has shown a lot more physicality," said draft analyst Mike Morreale from NHL.com on WGR. "He was learning to pick his spots a lot better when he jumped into the play, but he liked his overall all-around game. He felt it improved, and he was playing against those top players. The Cole Caufields (Montreal Canadiens), Dylan Holloways (Edmonton Oilers), Sammy Walkers in Minnesota (Tampa Bay Lightning). He had to learn to really gap well and know what to do in the corners to limit the scoring chances for those elite scorers in the Big Ten. He was able to do that."
Here are some other traits in Power's game that make him one of the top prospects in the 2021 NHL Draft:
Vision:
This is, arguably, Power's best trait, as the young defenseman is exceptionally gifted with his ability to see and read the ice well at both ends of the ice.
With the puck on his stick, Power always has his head up as he scans for a perfect outlet pass or open lane to skate with the puck. While he possesses a cool and calm demeanor with the puck, he's often thinking aggressively to get the puck down the ice and into the offensive zone.
Power's vision is very helpful when it comes to acting on the fly and creating offense. It also helps from the blue line with his ability to find shooting lanes, or to take the puck to the net and create a scoring chance.
This vision can also serve well on the power play, as Power is able to use it to his advantage as a quarterback on a first or second power play unit.
In the defensive zone, Power is constantly keeping his head on a swivel, staying sharp and aware of any danger that may be lurking in his general area. He can read plays that develop quickly, and is usually able to break up a scoring chance from happening before the puck gets to an intended target.
Power's high-end ability to read and react at both ends of the ice has garnered some high praise from TSN NHL Draft analyst, and former NHL general manager Craig Button.
"Owen Power is in complete control of the game at all times. The mind is unbelievable." Button said during a recent appearance on "The Instigators" with Andrew Peters and Craig Rivet. "Owen Power has kind of [the same] type of control in the game [as Chris Pronger]. He doesn't have the meanness of Chris Pronger or the dirty elements... the game is different now than it was when Chris was playing. But Chris just looked like the game was being played in slow motion and he would just control it in every regard. That, to me, is what I see in Owen with the mind. Real good with the puck, real good in all situations."
Passing:
While Power has the ability to see and read plays well on the ice with his vision, he backs that up with his passing abilities in both ends.
Power uses his vision to see the open lanes to move the puck, and his passing is quite accurate as he gets a puck up-ice. That calmness in his game allows for him to make a smart decision with the puck, while also knowing where his best outlets are to move the puck.
In his own end, Power doesn't get panicked too often when under pressure. He keeps a good head on him, while making a good breakout pass to begin a rush the other way. If he does make a mistake when being pressured, he is often ready to bounce right back and make up for any wrong doings.
Skating:
By no means is Power a blazer when on the ice, but he certainly knows how to kick it up a notch, especially when the puck is in his possession. His attacking mentality and vision allows him to float freely on the ice, especially when he joins an offensive attack.
Power is never afraid to get up the ice when the breakout begins, whether the puck is on his stick or not. If the play breaks down or he realizes a different development in the rush, Power is quick to get back in position on the back end and stick with the play.
Once the puck is on his stick in the offensive zone, he keeps his feet moving and doesn't stop from either trying to take the puck to the net, or finding space to make a play for a teammate.
Power's big frame allows him to be a powerful stride-for-stride skater when going from one end to the other. Just as quick as he gets into the offensive zone, he can turn it around and get back to defend.
Where Power could use some improvement is his footwork in the defensive and to allow him to be a better defensive defender when needed. That will come with potentially another season in Michigan, where he will likely be looked at as a top-pairing defender as a sophomore.
Shooting:
While power (pun intended) is not quite there with his shot yet, Power does possess a fairly decent slap shot from distance. However, as mentioned earlier, he does have a good sense of finding open lanes to get the puck to the net to create scoring chances.
In-close, Power has the ability to get the puck up and find the back of the net with his wrist shot.
With a little more work and extra ice-time during games and practice to hone in on his shot, the power and effectiveness of his shooting will increase greatly,
Defensive play:
Power is a solid defensive player in his own end, but there are still areas of his game that will need some polishing.
The youngster is quite good at defending the front of his net with an active stick and always keeping a close eye on the opposition. While he isn't the largest physical presence just yet, he can still keep everyone far enough away from his goaltender to make a save or get a good look at what's going on in his own end.
While earning plenty of time on the power play this season, Power can also play a lot of reliable minutes, including the penalty kill, and is not afraid to put his body on the line from time-to-time and block a shot.
Power is good with his stick defensively, but sometimes he may rely on his reach too much, especially when defending an oncoming rush. He does a decent job with gap control and keeping players to the outside on a rush, but he'll occasionally give up too much space in the neutral zone, which gives the opposing player time to pick a point of attack and expose the young defender.
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Another interesting aspect about the 2021 NHL Draft class is that there may not be one player that will make an immediate impact at the NHL level when the puck drops on the 2021-22 season. This certainly isn't a knock against this draft class, as many of the players towards the top are capable of developing into very good NHL players.
While it's plausible that Power can make the jump to the NHL right away as an 18/19-year-old defenseman, another year playing collegiately at Michigan would likely be the best route for him.
The Wolverines have a very good program in place to help a talent like Power continue to evolve his game as he prepares for an eventual jump to the NHL. In addition, there are other exceptional talents on the Michigan roster (some we're going to cover in this class) that will make the program a top-contending team in college hockey for the next couple of years.
The sky's the limit for Power, as he projects to be one of the best prospects of this year's class, while also projecting for a successful long-term future in the NHL.
***Photo: Michigan Photography