Blueline Power: Sabres' D-Man tops Button's annual top prospects list

Craig Button has seen the future of the National Hockey League and it’s in 3D.

TSN’s Director of Scouting has defencemen 1-2-3 on his 2022 list of the Top 50 NHL-affiliated Prospects: No. 1 Owen Power of Buffalo, No. 2 Jake Sanderson of Ottawa, and No. 3 Simon Edvinsson of Detroit.

Power, who was drafted first overall by the Sabres in 2021, signed his entry-level contract with Buffalo on Saturday and is set to make his NHL debut on Tuesday night against Toronto (TSN4 Regional, 7 p.m. ET) after a strong sophomore season at the University of Michigan.

The Mississauga, Ont. native had three goals and 32 points in 33 games this season as the Wolverines made it to the Frozen Four semifinals. Power also represented Canada on two occasions this season. He became the first Canadian defenceman to record a hat trick at the World Junior Championship prior to its cancellation last winter and had one assist in five games at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

At 6-foot-6 and 214 pounds, Power is a formidable presence on the blueline, but it’s his excellence in all areas of the ice that separates him from his peers.

“The separator for me is that every single area of the game, he excels in,” explained Button. “When I see a complete No. 1 defenceman, that’s what I see in Owen Power.”

Debuting at No. 7 on the list last year, Sanderson, the fifth-overall pick in 2020, recently signed his entry-level contract with the Senators. Despite being limited to just 23 games this season at North Dakota, the Whitefish, Mont., product registered eight goals and 26 points and was named a first team All-American.

Like Power, Sanderson also suited up at the World Juniors and the Beijing Olympics. The smooth-skating defenceman is expected to be a key pillar