The Daily Faceoff Show: Which NCAA import will have the biggest immediate NHL impact?

So long, Frozen Four. Hello, NHL. With the 2021-22 NCAA season in the books, several star college players have turned pro and joined the franchises that drafted them. Which mega-prospect will make the largest immediate impact at the NHL level?

Frank Seravalli and Chris Peters shared their thoughts on what to watch, particularly in Seattle and Buffalo, on Tuesday’s Daily Faceoff Show.

Frank Seravalli: A big night in Toronto for a Toronto native in Owen Power, the No. 1 pick in the (2021) NHL draft. He is making his NHL debut tonight for the Buffalo Sabres. You’ve followed this so closely, Chris, throughout the year with The Next Wave and with our coverage on DailyFaceoff.com. There’s a number of players who have made the jump, particularly in the last week, to the NHL after the Frozen Four wrapped over the weekend in Boston, and some teams had their seasons end. Who is the college player coming out and joining the NHL ranks that you think can make the biggest immediate impact?

Chris Peters: These guys aren’t in a playoff race right now, but Matty Beniers is already on the top line for the Seattle Kraken after one day of practice. And I’ve kind of been joking throughout the year that I thought Matty Beniers was the best player on the Kraken, and he very well could be in short order. I think these next few games, where he’s going to be able to play with the team, are going to be huge for next season. I wouldn’t read too much into this, but I when I think immediate impact, I think about impact when it matters, and that’s going to be the beginning of next season.

This is the guy who’s going to be the face of their team. I think he’ll be their captain someday. I think the way he plays is exactly how you need to play to win. He has that Patrice Bergeron vibe to him. That’s certainly a guy he’s looked up to over his career. And I’m not trying to say he’s the next Patrice Bergeron, but that’s who Matty has modelled his game after. And the Kraken desperately need a guy like him who plays with such heart, such passion for the game and is really solid defensively.

I think Owen Power’s going to make a huge impact for the Sabres, but I think Matty Beniers is far more important to the Kraken at this point in time than Owen Power is going to be for the Sabres. Just because there isn’t a lot there in Seattle right now, so this is a guy who’s the centerpiece of your core and who you have to build around going forward.

Frank Seravalli: That’s some high praise for Beniers. It says a lot, because the Sabres could certainly use the shot in the arm of a No. 1 overall pick. Take a look at their defense pairings as Owen Power makes his NHL debut. They just wrapped up their morning skate in Toronto, an optional skate, with Owen Power on the second pair with Henri Jokiharju. Mattias Samuelsson goes with Rasmus Dahlin, another No. 1 overall NHL pick. But we were racking our brains before the show started, Chris. I don’t know that there’s been a blueline ever in NHL history that has had two No. 1 overall picks in the same top six. We’d have to go back and check some guys from the 1970s, but just 16 defensemen have been drafted No. 1 overall. But these are exciting times for the Sabres, this is what you’ve waited for. I think the big question is, not only how big of an impact a guy like Power makes immediately, but what will their pairings look like next season, how do you properly slot things moving forward and how do you find a veteran defenseman for Power than can make him feel comfortable?

Chris Peters: I think the good thing for Owen Power is that he’s such a mature player, he’s so calm and so poised, that I think maybe you don’t have to necessarily insulate him as much as you would a normal rookie defenseman where you want to make sure you have a security blanket around him, this veteran. Now, you could do that. That would help maximize what Owen Power does, which is being able to play at both ends of the ice. But I think he plays a pretty simple game. He’s not overly flashy. He’s had experience at high levels at the Olympics, the World Championship, he’s won a gold medal with Team Canada in a year where nobody expected them to be able to win that tournament, and he was basically their No. 1 defenseman.

So what’s going to be interesting is how the dynamic of the Buffalo Sabres blueline shifts between Owen Power and Rasmus Dahlin. As you mentioned, there’s never really been a situation like this where we’ve had two recent first overall picks on the same blueline. But this is really where I think the Sabres can start taking those steps forward. Because their core is starting on that blueline with those two players. And then you add in the guys like Peyton Krebs and Jack Quinn and John-Jason Peterka, and all these other players that are matriculating. You’ve got that anchor piece in those two defensemen. Dahlin can play on either side. Power you probably want to see him on the left side, but he can go wherever you need him to go. And it’s really important for them to just continue to allow him to develop. And I think he’s going to be a guy that you don’t have to worry about too much because he is so mature and so poised.

Frank Seravalli: That’s a lot of draft capital on that Buffalo Sabres blueline. You just look at those pairs. Henri Jokiharju also a first-round pick from the Chicago Blackhawks. Mattias Samuelsson, I think of him as a first-round pick. He was actually a second but 32^nd overall, basically a late first-rounder. So you can start to see the nucleus come together for a Buffalo Sabres team that has missed the Stanley Cup playoffs a record 11 seasons in a row.

You can watch the full episode here…