Buffalo Sabres re-sign defenseman Owen Power to seven-year contract
The Buffalo Sabres have signed defenseman Owen Power to a seven-year contract extension worth an average of $8.35 million per season, the club announced Wednesday evening.
Power, 20, collected four goals and 35 points while averaging 23:48 of ice time in 79 games with the Sabres during the 2022–23 regular season.
The Sabres originally selected Power with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. The 6’6″ left-handed defenseman spent two seasons at the University of Michigan before turning pro with the Sabres in 2022.
Power appeared in eight games with the Sabres to close out the 2021–22 season, racking up two goals and three points. The Mississauga, Ontario product is entering the final season of the three-year, entry-level contract he signed with the Sabres in April 2022.
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
Power was named a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2023 after leading all NHL rookies in average ice time. He led rookie defensemen in assists and points.
The news of Power’s new contract comes just two days after the Sabres announced they had re-signed fellow former No. 1 overall pick Rasmus Dahlin to an eight-year, $11 million AAV contract extension.
The Sabres now have Power, Dahlin, and Mattias Samuelsson signed for at least the next seven seasons. Beyond those three, the club only has Connor Clifton signed on defense beyond the 2023–24 campaign.
Erik Johnson, Henri Jokiharju, Jacob Bryson, and Riley Stillman are all set to become free agents after the coming season, with prospects Ryan Johnson and Nikita Novikov slated to begin the year with the AHL’s Rochester Americans.
Power is projected to begin the 2023–24 season on the left side of the Sabres’ second pairing with Jokiharju. The Sabres will kick off the campaign when they take on the New York Rangers at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. ET.