Corridor of Fame defenseman Chris Pronger has been watching Owen Energy since he was a teen enjoying for the Chicago Metal within the USHL. So Pronger will get confused when he sees a lot criticism about Energy’s lack of physicality as an NHL defenseman.
“He’s not bodily,” stated Pronger, who labored within the Florida Panthers’ entrance workplace and now serves as an analyst on Blues broadcasts. “He doesn’t contact a soul. He makes use of his physique and has a very good stick, however he doesn’t lean on individuals. I feel individuals have the expectation, quite a bit like Colton Parayko to a lesser diploma right here in St. Louis, they see this huge, burly defenseman to go run individuals by way of the boards. Victor Hedman doesn’t try this, both. However I might say the criticism that he’s not competing onerous sufficient, I might agree with that. However so far as the dearth of physicality, it’s not in his DNA. That’s not how he performs.”
That looks as if a very good place to begin the dialog on Energy, who’s 22 and in his third NHL season with the Buffalo Sabres. He was the No. 1 choose within the 2021 NHL Draft, signed with the Sabres when he was 19 and jumped proper into the NHL. The 6-foot-6 blueliner has 111 factors in 241 video games whereas averaging greater than 22 minutes per sport in his profession. The Sabres signed Energy to a seven-year contract extension price $8.3 million per yr earlier than the 2023-24 season. Energy appeared to be on a gentle upward trajectory towards changing into a difference-maker for Buffalo.
However this season, Energy has taken a step again. The Sabres have 47 % of the anticipated objectives and 48 % of the particular objectives when Energy is on the ice at five-on-five this season. Each marks are the worst of his profession. In line with Dom Luszczyszyn’s sport rating, Energy’s offensive score is within the 81st percentile, whereas his defensive score is within the fourth percentile. Amongst Sabres who’ve performed not less than 60 video games this season, Energy’s common sport rating is third worst. It’s additionally the worst mark of his profession.
New coach Lindy Ruff has requested the defenseman to play with extra physicality, notably in entrance of the web. And Energy’s adjustment hasn’t been the smoothest. Due to his draft standing and his contract, Energy has turn into a lightning rod for criticism for a annoyed Sabres fan base.
“He’s kind of within the place I used to be in the place I used to be taking a lot warmth, feeling that stress, feeling the load of expectations, the load of being first general and the load the shedding and on and on and also you turn into gun-shy,” Pronger stated. “You get a little bit gun-shy and he doesn’t have a D associate he can depend on to bail him out. He needs to be the man to bail out the opposite man. It may be a vicious cycle on this studying curve and on this growth.
Energy has turn into the most recent check case for the query of how a lot time it ought to take for a defenseman to hit his stride within the NHL. What components of Energy’s sport could be improved with teaching and expertise? And what can the Sabres do to speed up the method?
“He’s actually not anyone else once we watch or discuss concerning the sport,” Ruff stated. “He’s self-evaluating himself and he’s fairly good at it. He understands there’s areas of his sport that have to get higher however he’s a very good scholar of the sport. He loves the sport and desires to get higher. His sport, some areas have been good, some areas want enchancment. Some areas want power. All through my profession, the younger defenseman it’s most likely all the time been you want extra power the primary few years. Lengthy listing of defenseman, Brian Campbell, Tyler Myers. After they first get right here these first few years, they want extra power.”
We spoke with Pronger, Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson, Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman and Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, all of whom performed within the NHL at a younger age, to grasp the challenges of younger defensemen and get an concept of what steps Energy must take.
Ruff’s level about power is one thing Hedman introduced up immediately when remembering the early days of his profession.
“I used to be nonetheless 18 once I received in,” Hedman stated. “Your physique isn’t absolutely developed. Muscle-wise sensible I wasn’t as huge as I’m right now. It was onerous battling with guys in entrance who’re quite a bit older. It was powerful and it takes quite a bit to your physique to grow to be the physique form I would like and what I really feel assured enjoying at. Not sufficient muscular tissues on me. That’s the large key to achieve success on this league. It’s going to take some time.”
Pronger stated it was when he was 21 that he lastly began to appreciate tips on how to correctly power practice. He felt quite a bit completely different the subsequent season, so he thought, ‘I have to go all-in on this.’ He met his coach, realized about vitamin and dietary supplements. He got here again the subsequent season and felt like he had his “man power.”
That’s what he sees lacking in Energy’s sport. Pronger watched him play in his rookie season when the Sabres had been in St. Louis. He noticed a participant who was engaged and positive of himself. Pronger hasn’t seen that usually sufficient from Energy this season.
“The online-front stuff is only compete,” Pronger stated. “And that’s unacceptable. However that’s confidence. That’s the whispers you hear of individuals questioning your toughness and your bodily presence.”
Chris Pronger was chosen No. 2 within the 1993 NHL Draft by the Hartford Whalers. (Jamie Squire / Getty Pictures)
Energy clearly has offensive presents, however he’s second-guessing within the defensive zone. A part of that’s due to Energy’s hockey IQ. He thinks the sport in a nuanced manner, which will help him when the puck is on his stick. That’s why he’s capable of break the puck out shortly or create performs within the offensive zone. Within the defensive zone, although, Energy stated he typically depends an excessive amount of on that as an alternative of the small print and physicality.
“You could possibly use the phrase dishonest performs, simply making an attempt to anticipate it,” Energy stated. “Simply making an attempt to select stuff off or making an attempt to see what the opposite man goes to do with the puck as an alternative of simply enjoying your man and anticipate on the identical time. That’s one thing I’ve needed to work on.
“You don’t should be somebody who goes and kills any person however while you’re in a position to make use of your physique and a few physicality you may finish performs faster and management guys higher when it comes to the place you need him to go. That’s one thing that’s going to be a continuous work in progress and it’s going to come back over time.”
Hedman stated his sport improved when he stopped chasing hits and began to learn the play and use his attain to finish performs. There’s a steadiness that you simply be taught to strike when you’re comfy with who you’re as a participant.
“He’s an outstanding skater for his measurement and has a protracted attain,” Hedman stated. “It’s simply placing all the things collectively and trusting your self and what took you thus far. That was the largest factor for me. You bought drafted tremendous excessive for a cause. Simply hold working in your skills that received you to that time.”
What shouldn’t be misplaced is what Energy has accomplished offensively. He’s fifteenth amongst NHL defensemen in even-strength factors and has profession highs in each objectives and factors this season. When the puck is on his stick, Energy is a affected person and savvy puck mover. He skates nicely for a participant who’s so huge, too.
“The best way he sees the sport, he slows it down,” Dahlin stated. “There’s by no means any stress in his sport. He’s so good at IDing what’s occurring round him earlier than he will get the puck. He is aware of the subsequent play. Defensively, he doesn’t hit, however he makes such good reads and is all the time in the correct spots. His hockey IQ is subsequent degree.”
These are the talents that helped Energy transition to the league at such a younger age and make an impression. Karlsson has seen the sport change quite a bit since he entered the league with the Senators in 2009. Youthful defensemen are capable of make an impression faster as a result of there may be a lot emphasis on offense. The defensive aspect of the sport takes time to be taught, but it surely’s additionally not a simple league for veterans to defend in.
“There’s some that play actually good defensive hockey now, however for almost all it’s the opposite manner round,” Karlsson stated. “Fifteen years in the past, it was the opposite manner round, the place each D-man was defensively very stable and had little or no upside offensively. Now it simply appears to be the opposite manner round. It’s powerful to defend within the league this present day. The best way the sport is performed proper now, you could be a nice defender and do all the correct issues and it nonetheless doesn’t work out extra occasions than not. It’s simply shifted quite a bit the final 5 to eight years.”
That’s what makes enjoying protection within the league early such a problem. As Pronger factors out, hockey is a sport of errors. The sport is quicker than it has ever been and gamers are extra expert. Each mistake a defenseman makes can turn into a scoring probability or worse. Dahlin stated he couldn’t fairly admire among the strikes NHLers may pull off till he was on the ice with them.
That’s all a part of the training curve for Energy. However he’s additionally already making $8.3 million per yr, so the expectations rise with a contract like that. Pronger views that because the group’s mistake that Energy is paying for.
“I’ve been in that place the place you begin considering an excessive amount of and also you’re in your head,” Pronger stated. “It’s onerous to get out of, truthfully. This summer season goes to be large for him. He’s going to wish to have a come-to-Jesus second and, for lack of a greater time period, develop a pair and work out to get stronger and work on his psychological sport. Whether or not that’s blocking out the noise, studying when to just accept the net-front problem.”
Pronger doesn’t suppose Ruff and the Sabres ought to attempt to flip Energy into one thing he’s not. Energy must compete extra, however he doesn’t essentially have to rack up over 100 hits. They should cater to his strengths to place him in the most effective place to succeed.
Most significantly, they should discover him a veteran associate who has some physicality and performs protection first. Pronger sees Energy having to cowl for himself and his associate too usually. This season, Energy has performed not less than 100 minutes with six completely different defensemen. Pronger remembers how priceless it was to have Brad McCrimmon as his associate when he first broke into the league with the Hartford Whalers. The Sabres introduced in a veteran final season in Erik Johnson, however he ended up as a third-pair defenseman and was moved out on the commerce deadline. Connor Clifton has additionally been a third-pair man. Normal supervisor Kevyn Adams has been speaking about discovering a associate for Energy since he signed out of Michigan. He introduced it up once more at this yr’s deadline.
That’s one of many components the group can management to make life simpler for Energy as he transitions into the subsequent stage of his profession. However loads of it will fall on Energy and the work he does to get stronger and fine-tune his sport.
“You must develop your physique. You must take heed to what persons are saying. You must take that criticism and it sucks. You must self-evaluate, look within the mirror and say is any of this true? What’s true and what isn’t? After which go repair it,” Pronger stated.
That’s the check dealing with Energy this summer season. Adams stated earlier this season that 31 different groups within the league would like to have Energy. He’s proper, as a result of the potential is there for Energy to be a top-end, two-way defenseman. However now Energy has to point out this season was a one-year blip, that he’s able to residing as much as that large potential. The noise round his sport has grown louder, and that’s stress Energy’s by no means handled earlier than.
Dahlin, who emerged from early profession struggles to turn into the Sabres’ captain, described that stress this fashion: “I simply knew I had a lot extra in me. That was the onerous half to remain affected person and simply hold engaged on my sport.”
Now it’s Energy that’s in that place.
“I might say that’s by no means actually bothered me,” Energy stated. “(Strain)’s clearly there but it surely’s not one thing that bothers me. I push myself fairly onerous and have excessive expectations. I don’t actually look into it. I most likely don’t hear most of it. I wouldn’t need to have it some other manner. I’m residing the dream and enjoying in the most effective league on this planet so it’s been loads of enjoyable.”
(Photograph: Sergei Belski / Imagn Pictures)
