Inside the NHL: The issues facing each side of Owen Power's Olympic decision

Ultimately, Owen Power's goals for the season probably remain the same. The path to get there has gone quite a bit different than anyone would have expected.

After being drafted No. 1 overall by the Sabres in July, Power became the first top choice to not play in the NHL in 15 years when he decided to return to school. That was an easy call: The University of Michigan had a star-studded lineup filled with Top 10 draft picks looking to win a national championship after it was pushed out of the 2021 NCAA Tournament due to Covid-19.

Power's season to date at Michigan has been tremendous, putting him in line as a prime candidate for the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey's top player. He left for the Canada's World Juniors camp in early December on the road to trying to recapture the gold medal Canada lost to Team USA last year. Then it would be back to Michigan to compete for a berth in the Frozen Four and a national championship, and then most likely head right to Buffalo to start his NHL career with the Sabres over the final month of the season.

Those last two items could still happen in exactly that way. But Power's season took quite a turn in recent days with the sudden cancellation of the World Juniors and the news that Hockey Canada wants him for its Olympic team next month in Beijing now that NHL players are out of the Games.

We're at least another week away from getting an official announcement of the roster but multiple sources have reported that Power is a prime target for Canadian officials as they scramble to cobble together a team. 

"It would be something that would be extremely special," Power said last week on a video call with TSN in the wake of the Juniors' saga. "It's obviously something I'd love to do. I'm hopeful I'll make the team." 

No worries, kid. You're making the team. 

The Olympics weren't on anybody's radar for Power when he arrived at Michigan for the fall semester and the start of practice. All the slots were going to be filled by NHL stars. That's not the case anymore. 

All of this makes for quite an interesting set of dynamics to follow. Here's a look at the "Power play" from all sides:

Owen Power

There's no question Power looks at this as a bonus Olympic opportunity he was never going to get at age 19, so he's jumping at it. While it's reasonable to think he'd be in the Olympic mix probably multiple times during his NHL career, making the Team Canada roster is no sure thing because of the country's depth. And the entire Olympic experience when it comes to the NHL is obviously not a sure thing when the tournament is not in North America either (the 2026 version is in Italy).

And an Olympic trip would be a huge makeup for the massive disappointment over the collapse of the World Juniors, where Canada was 2-0 and Power became the first Canadian defenseman ever to notch a hat trick in a game. His lone shot at a gold medal in that event is gone and Power admitted players began to wonder if they were going to get to the medal round of the tournament when positive Covid cases and forfeits started piling up.

"You saw the first cases come up in the tournament and you kind of got that thought in the back of your head," Power told TSN. "When we got called down for the meeting it was actually the same text we got when we shut down last year in Michigan. As soon as we got that, I had a pretty good feeling that the tournament was going to be over." 

Covid is the big issue with the Olympics too. If Power suddenly has a positive test in China, he could be subject to the onerous quarantines that had NHL players queasy. Imagine him being stuck in China for 3-5 weeks – yes, weeks – and be stranded overseas well after the Games are over. It could jeopardize his entire season at Michigan, which was the whole reason for him to return to school and not come directly to Buffalo.

In many eyes, Power would be a second-pair defenseman for the Sabres right now. He returned to school to get the college lifestyle he lost out on last year as a freshman due to the pandemic, and to make another run at a national championship. China seems like an odd risk to take for what's now going to be a watered-down Olympic tournament.

The Sabres

Let's get this point straight right away: General Manager Kevyn Adams has no ultimate say in the matter because Power hasn't signed a contract yet. Adams can offer his opinion and it's known he's in regular communication with Michigan coach Mel Pearson and Power's adviser/future agent Pat Brisson on many aspects of Power's season. But memo to Twitter: The Sabres can't block Power from going to the Olympics if he wants to.

And, frankly, the Sabres don't want to create a fissure in their relationship with the guy they just took No. 1 overall six months ago even if they want no part of Power going to China. Here's another point to ponder: Don't forget that Brisson became Jack Eichel's new agent over the summer, ultimately working hard with Adams to find a solution that resulted in the November trade to Vegas. Adams has to be sure to mend fences with Brisson as well, given the contentious matter the Eichel situation ended and the hope of a long and prosperous relationship with Power.

"There's so much to think about when it comes to the development of a hockey player. And now you throw Covid on top of it and all the travel and where do players get disrupted if that was the case," Adams said when asked about Power during a session with reporters just after Christmas. "I think there's a lot of unknowns right now with the Olympics and how that's all gonna shake out but I definitely would be involved in the conversation – in a positive way. As a player, any time you're being talked about to get an experience like that, I think it can be an amazing thing for you in your career."

The Sabres don't have the same issues with Northeastern goaltender Devon Levi, who could also get selected to Team Canada, because he's not going to be signing an NHL contract imminently. Buffalo wants to get an entry-level deal done with Power to make an NHL debut this season and that plan could have to get shelved if Power is holed up for several weeks in China.

Michigan

It would seem the Wolverines have the most to lose here. What if Power and World Junior teammate Kent Johnson both go to China for Team Canada and No. 2 overall pick Matty Beniers (Seattle) heads off to Team USA? When they mapped out their season in the fall, there was no thought this was going to happen in the teeth of the Big Ten schedule. Power and Co. were back in Ann Arbor for this weekend's two-game showdown against defending national champion UMass, and should be able to play in next weekend's home series against Penn State and the two-gamer later this month at Minnesota.

But to play in Beijing means they likely miss two games at Wisconsin, a home-and-home with Michigan State as well as two games vs. Ohio State and the season-ending series at Notre Dame. It could make for a much tougher path through the Big Ten and a different seed than you would expect for the conference tournament that opens March 4 and continues March 12 and 19.

This is a Frozen-Four-or-bust season for Michigan, much like it was for Eichel and Boston University in 2015 when the Terriers lost to Providence in the national championship game. But imagine if Power or other players are stuck in quarantine and aren't available for the college season's climactic moments.

Hockey Canada 

The Red and White might have the most to gain. Power will be an elite-level talent for this tournament, just like he was last June at the World Championships in Latvia. Candidates for the Canadian roster reportedly include prospects like Power, Johnson and defenseman Kaiden Guhle (Brendan's brother and a Montreal draftee), as well as NHL castoffs like former Sabres Eric Staal, Cody Franson, Cal O'Reilly and Scott Wilson. 

As a substitute for NHL players, you're not generating much if any interest in this roster unless you get some mega prospects to agree to play. Power would be exactly that, a guy who can play 25 minutes a night on the back end and become a face of the team. Power is committed to international play and his relationship with Hockey Canada is already strong. It seems he isn't turning his back on the homeland now in its time of need.