Owen Power and the Michigan Wolverines are 12 games into their season. They’re currently the top-ranked team in the nation with a 10-2-0 record. Power himself is on pace to shatter scoring records for under 20-year-old players. He has 18 points through 12 games. He’s on pace for over 50 regular-season points.

I’ve been able to track seven of Power’s 12 games this season. Returning for his sophomore season has been great for the 18-year-old defender.

It’s not a surprise that the Canadian-born defenseman is racking up points on one of the top clubs in collegiate hockey. Especially when you take into account that he’s getting top power play minutes this year. My focus this season on the Sabres’ first overall pick wasn’t about his production. I wanted to see him improve in a few areas of his game such as defending the forecheck, defending the rush, and impacting the play more consistently in the offensive zone.

There has been improvement in the defensive zone so far this season. He can still get himself into trouble, but the turnovers are down. The decision-making is quicker against pressure and it’s allowing his team to transition defense into offense quickly when he’s on the ice.

Transition

While he continues to improve his defensive game, Power has become a dominant player in the other two zones. He can move through the neutral zone with will with size and speed. Power has been the top transition defender this season for the Wolverines. In the games I tracked, he leads the team in controlled exits percentage and controlled zone exits overall

He’s second on the club among defensemen in controlled entry percentage and leads the team in total controlled entries.

One of the things that stands out when you watch Power is how he continually joins the rush and is a force in the offensive zone. His feet never stop moving in the offensive zone. He continually attacks the net and uses his body to create space. In the clip below you’ll see him attack the net on the give and go. He also uses his vision to collect a puck in his skate to find a teammate for the goal.

In this next video, he uses his skating ability and body to protect the puck and set up another goal.

https://twitter.com/JDylanBurke/status/1459331899843702787?s=20

Lastly, you can get a look at him joining the rush late and attacking the net for a goal.

He has moved into the lead in primary shot contributions among all defensemen on the Wolverines at 5 on 5. As each game goes by he has become a more dominant force on the ice. He’s noticeable on nearly every shift and continually generates scoring opportunities.

Passing

The one area of his game that is truly undervalued is his passing ability, particularly in the offensive zone. He’s able to use deception with his eyes to freeze the opponent and find one his teammates. His ability to continually put the puck in the wheelhouse is incredible, to be honest.

He puts it on the spot every time.

What a SNIPE by Johnny Beecher #BeastIsBack pic.twitter.com/iTjcLdxJFT

— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) November 12, 2021

Here’s a good example of him using deception to open a passing lane to a teammate. Freezes the defenders with a fake and then dishes off the puck.

And here is assist No. 3 from Owen Power, who helps Michigan to a 5-1 win over Penn State.

Erik Portillo made 32 saves, including a doozy on a shorthanded 2-on-1 rush.

pic.twitter.com/iTWBxwxaKd

— Jourdon LaBarber (@JourdonLaBarber) November 12, 2021

There’s a lot to be excited about with Power’s game right now. He’s only going to move into the spotlight more when he heads to the World Juniors to play for the Canadians in a little over a month.

Photo Credit: Adam Sheehan/University of Michigan Photography