Curt

Not 100% sure, but that’s what I believed.

I don’t think that this severing of ties between NHL and KHL will have an affect on whether or not Sabres Russian prospects are able to come over to NHL. NHL and KHL never had a player movement agreement, so none of them were coming over before the ends of their KHL contracts anyway. What will have an affect is whether Russia allows its citizens to come and go freely from the country.

1) No, obviously 2) 2nd worst isn’t last place 3) Anything is possible, but I think that predicting that they will finish even 2nd worst this season or last next season is a poor bet. I don’t dismiss these things as possibilities, but you said that you have a hard time seeing them finish anywhere other than last place next season. I think that is a foolish prediction.

Breaking out of last? What do you mean by that? They aren’t finishing last this season and I would be shocked if they finished last next season.

Yeah, I basically said that in the post you quoted. My point was that this is an extremely common thing (place names spelled differently in different languages. It’s not a Russia-Ukraine thing. If we want to be really serious, then the word “Kiev” is certainly not Russian. Russian uses an entirely different alphabet. It’s the Russian alphabet spelling transcribed into the Latin alphabet, which is an in exact science anyway. By all means, Latin alphabet users should spell it the way that Ukraine requests. But the spelling difference isn’t something that Russia created in order to diminish Ukraine. It’s a super common thing that happens with place names worldwide.

Yeah, I have to agree. You are entitled to your own predictions, but this is no where near proven. We’ll see how he does in the AHL next season and go from there.

Absolutely, I would be disappointed if they don’t find a way to make a couple deals like this where they act as a cap space broker.

Yes, I would expect the Sabres to retain salary, probably the full 50%, on basically any player that they trade at the deadline.

Girgensons is not getting traded. He is under contract next season and they named him co-captain.

He was a top-10 pick but it appears that he isn’t good.

I think this means that he is willing to retain salary on a player that a contending team is acquiring, even if it’s for more than one season. Not that he wants to take on a cap dump type roster player. It says willing to take on salary, not take on players. Just my interpretation when I read it. @triumph_communes@thewookie1

How and why would this work? I’m not grasping it. Why would Boston, a playoff team, trade away a veteran that they signed in the offseason specifically for his veteran/leadership/playoff provenness? And why would Foligno waive to come to Buffalo when I’m sure he signed with Boston so he could be on a playoff team? Whole thing seems backwards. Am I missing details?

Here is mine. I just left out anyone who is a pending UFA. 1 - the Real Core. These are the 4 or 5 guys that management commits to long term. : Tuch, Skinner, Dahlin, Cozens Tuch and Skinner are already committed to long term. I think Tuch is a fantastic player to keep around long term as part of the leadership core. Dahlin is showing that he should be part of this group. Cozens just needs to be, heart and soul. 2 - Potential Core - Could earn promotion to the 1st category, but we are in wait and see for a variety of reasons such as injuries or youth. Depending on how things go, some of these guys will move up to Category 1 while others will transition to Category 3 or 4. I don't see anyone slipping to category 5. : Thompson, Quinn, Krebs, Mittelstadt, Power, Samuelsson Thompson is pretty close to showing that he belongs in (1). The rest need to prove it at the NHL level for an extended period. For me, all three of UPL, Levi, and Portillo are in this category as well. Someone of that group is going ride above the others. They may or may not reach the (1) level of core piece, but I think they all have the potential. Any of the three could end up in category 1, 4, 5, or 6. 3. Quality Veteran Depth : Okposo and Girgensons 4. Good transitional depth - This category is guys who will a fill need for a period of time, possibly transitioning to category (3), but won't be core players. : Olofsson, Jokiharju, Peterka 5. Expendable young players - I see these guys as players who could play here awhile in a depth role but will be replaced relatively quickly and could also be used to enhance trades. : Asplund, Murray, Routsalainen, Biro, Bryson, Johnson, Fitzgerald, Laaksonen, every other unsigned prospect not mentioned 6. JAGs (Garbage?) : Bjork, Weissbach, Pekar

Between now and the draft, I would like to see Adams: -Trade a away a couple UFA vets (50% retained) for draft picks/prospects. -Launder a couple players traded to other teams, retaining 50% of salaries, in exchange for draft picks/prospects. -Judiciously use a couple assets (picks, surplus prospect, carefully selected roster player cough*olofsson*cough) to bring in a long term player (F or RD). This player would need to be carefully selected. Someone with years of team control at a reasonable salary, age 25 or younger, who would be happy to come to Buffalo, and who the scouting staff identifies as a fit.

Sure it matters, it’s just a different discussion. The spelling difference wasn’t a creation by Russia to eliminate Ukraine. It’s just something that exists for linguistic reasons. This explanation of origin is separate from, and has no impact on what spelling western media should use. (They should use the Ukrainian spelling because Ukraine asked them to.)

Good target. Don’t know what Vancouver’s intentions are with him, but he is on a good deal, he is an East Coast guy, and I think he is someone who is just primed to explode for a 70+ point season if he can get into a good situation.

I think is a bit much. Many places have different names based on the language that is being spoken. It’s a pretty common thing worldwide. In this situation I can understand why Ukraine requested that the Ukrainian spelling be used, and Russia could certainly use the spelling as a subtle way of undermining Ukrainianness, but that is not the origin of the spelling difference.

They are temporarily excluding Russian and Belarusian players from the upcoming CHL import draft. It could be a one year only thing. Any players who are already drafted by CHL teams are still able to play, as far as I know. Personally, I don’t think it accomplishes anything. With that said, any NHL drafted prospect could still come over and play in the USHL or NCAA.

Flyers are going to trade Claude Giroux. Salary will probably need to be eaten. For one example.

That’s very good to hear. Use that cap space please.

Yeah, it’s not clear whether it’s 10% of Sabres STHs are also Bills STHs or vice versa. Does it really matter though how it was calculated? The part about this that was weird was if she meant that there aren’t many crossover fans between the Sabres/Bills. But is she specifically meant customers/STHs they it makes a lot of sense. Regardless of how the 10% figure was calculated. Its not really a story.

Well......Stone was put on LTIR at exactly the same time that Eichel was ready to play games, and I am willing to bet that he will not miss a playoff game. I don’t doubt that his back is kind of messed up, it was an issue for him last season as well, but I think he would normally be playing through it and is only on LTIR due to his team’s cap situation.

You mean the goal, or the loss?

Just a note. Rules for draft order are as follows. 1) The teams that did not qualify for the playoffs the previous season (picks 1–16) 2) The teams that made the playoffs in the previous season but did not win either their division in the regular season or play in the Conference Finals (picks 17–24 up to 28) 3) The teams that won their divisions in the previous season but did not play in the Conference Finals (potentially picks 25–28) 4) The teams that lose in Conference Finals (picks 29 and 30) 5) The team that was the runner-up in the Stanley Cup Finals (pick 31) 6) The team that won the Stanley Cup in the previous season (pick 32) So, the Florida pick will almost definitely be in the 25-28 range, even if they lose in the 1st round. Unless they make it to the conference finals, which they absolutely could. This doesn’t really take away from your overall point. I just wanted to share some info.

If Russian citizens do not become restricted from leaving the country, I could see a lot of players leaving for other countries/leagues. So much is in flux right now, it hard to say how anything is going turn out.