Projected No. 1 pick Power leaning towards return to Michigan next season

Owen Power, projected No. 1 overall pick for the upcoming 2021 NHL draft, is leaning towards playing another NCAA season at Michigan instead of turning pro.

"I think right now I'm probably leaning more towards going back to school," Power said during an interview with NHL Network on Friday.

"It's something I'd like to do, try and get the true experience of playing college hockey. At the end of the day, it obviously depends on what the team wants and what everyone around me thinks is best. I don't think there's really a bad option."

Central Scouting labeled Power the top North American skater heading to the draft in their final rankings in May. The 18-year-old defenseman had 16 points in 26 games for the Wolverines this past season and won gold with Canada at the world championship in Latvia.

The Buffalo Sabres, Seattle Kraken, and Anaheim Ducks hold the top three picks in this year's draft.