Buffalo Fan Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 Seems like he's starting to play pretty well...I think he should be included in some kind of trade. We've always talked about the logjam of forwards, and I bet he is due for a contract soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkman Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 I think his trade value is somewhere between a dingleberry and frumduna cheese. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Fan Posted January 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 I think his trade value is somewhere between a dingleberry and frumduna cheese. If the Sabres can turn Novotny into Dainius Zubrus, then it seems possible that they could turn Zags into something more than dingleberry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkman Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 I think Novotny was at the very least, a player who had proven he could play at the NHL level. Zagrapan has barely proved he can be a serviceable AHL player. Moving Mancari could be an option though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 If the Sabres can turn Novotny into Dainius Zubrus, then it seems possible that they could turn Zags into something more than dingleberry. That first round draft pick included in the deal had just a bit of an impact as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frisky Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 I don't think they are going to move anybody like Mancari. Zags maybe but not Mancari. They'll be moving up to fill spots next year. I see Mancari as Kotalik's replacement. With Max and Timmy off the books, Kennedy and Gerbe will be moving up as well I would imagine. Spacek and Nummy and Patches (I think) gone, Weber and Butler will move up as well. I think they need to re-sign on D guy though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PASabreFan Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 Marzipan. Paella. Hockey makes me hungry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkman Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 Marzipan. Paella. Fromunda Cheese. Hockey makes me hungry. Fixed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two or less Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 I think Novotny was at the very least, a player who had proven he could play at the NHL level. Zagrapan has barely proved he can be a serviceable AHL player. Moving Mancari could be an option though... Zagrapan in his 3rd season is on pace to surpass Novotny's stats in his 3rd season. I know Novotny is more of a defensive minded player, but i do think Zagrapan's recent hot streak should merit atleast a look by the Sabres in the near future to see what he has. I think Zagrapan can have similar success to Novotny given the chance on bigger ice. So i would like to see him given a try in Buffalo. That said, i do agree with you that his trade value is almost at zero. Last summer it was rumored that he was in talks with KHL teams and supposedly even had a try out with one of them (Moscow i think). KHL is going to expend soon into other countries in Europe and i wouldn't doubt guys like Zagrapan are on their wish-lists, so i think NHL teams would shy away from guys like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PASabreFan Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 Fixed. Pomegranates. So fleshy and juicy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabattBlue Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 Gerbe and Kennedy both getting a shot earlier this season speaks volumes for how little progress Zagrapan had made as a pro. This is in spite of Zagrapan being the only true scoring center the Sabres have in Portland combined with the fact that the Sabres are in dire need of another scorling line center. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two or less Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 Gerbe and Kennedy both getting a shot earlier this season speaks volumes for how little progress Zagrapan had made as a pro. This is in spite of Zagrapan being the only true scoring center the Sabres have in Portland combined with the fact that the Sabres are in dire need of another scorling line center. True. I'd like to see a month by month break down of his scoring though because i think Zags got off to a very poor start and started to heat up after December 1st or so. But that is a very legit point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabattBlue Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 True. I'd like to see a month by month break down of his scoring though because i think Zags got off to a very poor start and started to heat up after December 1st or so. But that is a very legit point. Ask and you shall receive... http://stats.theahl.com/stats/gamebygame.php?id=1515 While Zagrapan played better(at least from a scoring perspective) in December and even better in January, who knows if there is something else that is holding him back. Refusal to play a two-way game? Doesn't listen to the coaches? Immaturity? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carpandean Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 http://stats.theahl.com/stats/gamebygame.php?id=1515 5G, 6A, 11P, -6 in first 27 games 7G, 7A, 14P, +7 in last 11 games Something has definitely changed. Attitude? Work ethic? Line mates? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom webster Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 Zagrapan in his 3rd season is on pace to surpass Novotny's stats in his 3rd season. I know Novotny is more of a defensive minded player, but i do think Zagrapan's recent hot streak should merit atleast a look by the Sabres in the near future to see what he has. I think Zagrapan can have similar success to Novotny given the chance on bigger ice. So i would like to see him given a try in Buffalo. That said, i do agree with you that his trade value is almost at zero. Last summer it was rumored that he was in talks with KHL teams and supposedly even had a try out with one of them (Moscow i think). KHL is going to expend soon into other countries in Europe and i wouldn't doubt guys like Zagrapan are on their wish-lists, so i think NHL teams would shy away from guys like that. KHL is having major cash issues and is reportedly going to ask for a salary roll back before even their first year is played. I don't see expansion on the horizon. That being said, if Zagrapan continues his hot streak, I agree that he might merit a look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two or less Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 KHL is having major cash issues and is reportedly going to ask for a salary roll back before even their first year is played. I don't see expansion on the horizon. That being said, if Zagrapan continues his hot streak, I agree that he might merit a look. I think the plan is to kick some of those poor Russian clubs out and bring in clubs from other countries in Europe. I know they have lost a lot of money and there is talk about spreading a 30% salary decrease in the KHL so teams can recover some of the lost money, but it is only in it's first year and i don't think many expected huge success right from the start. Teams spend too much money on bringing over big names i think and i think that was a huge mistake. We'll see though. Here's a piece of an article, even though it's a bit outdated (a month old) from the Toronto Sun- The latest incarnation of Russian hockey, the KHL boasts 21 teams across this expansive country and three others in Latvia, Kazakhstan and Belarus. The league is in its first season and, some significant growing pains aside, is already talking about expanding to new markets in Western Europe such as Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic and Sweden ? untapped hockey markets the NHL also covets. Link- http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/article/553524 Also, AK Bars is already rumored to be targetting NHL players for the summer. Maxim Afinogenov is one of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom webster Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 I think the plan is to kick some of those poor Russian clubs out and bring in clubs from other countries in Europe. I know they have lost a lot of money and there is talk about spreading a 30% salary decrease in the KHL so teams can recover some of the lost money, but it is only in it's first year and i don't think many expected huge success right from the start. Teams spend too much money on bringing over big names i think and i think that was a huge mistake. We'll see though. Here's a piece of an article, even though it's a bit outdated (a month old) from the Toronto Sun- Link- http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/article/553524 Also, AK Bars is already rumored to be targetting NHL players for the summer. Maxim Afinogenov is one of them. I stand corrected, although you never know the motive behind some of these articles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taro T Posted January 15, 2009 Report Share Posted January 15, 2009 I think the plan is to kick some of those poor Russian clubs out and bring in clubs from other countries in Europe. I know they have lost a lot of money and there is talk about spreading a 30% salary decrease in the KHL so teams can recover some of the lost money, but it is only in it's first year and i don't think many expected huge success right from the start. Teams spend too much money on bringing over big names i think and i think that was a huge mistake. We'll see though. Here's a piece of an article, even though it's a bit outdated (a month old) from the Toronto Sun- Link- http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/article/553524 Also, AK Bars is already rumored to be targetting NHL players for the summer. Maxim Afinogenov is one of them. A lot of the future of that league will be determined by the price of oil. Oil dropping back to a "cheap" $50/barrel takes a lot of expected money out of the Russian economy and can significantly effect the economics and viability of a league over in Russia. It's tough to exceed salary cap prices when you don't have money yourself. If oil stays up and the $ down, the threat of the league providing real competition to the NHL increases substantially. They also will likely have issues expanding into other European countries as those countries already have major popular leagues of their own. The owners of a team in Prague or Stockholm have no intention of letting a Russian league into their cities w/out a fight. I also wouldn't be surprised to see those countries themselves may have some issues w/ allowing expansion into their borders due to the perceived Russian mafia connections w/in the league as well. And how much of the unwillingness of teams to draft Russians is due to the lack of a transfer agreement and the Radulov situation rather than a fear of losing a player after he hits free agency status? Considering the entire transfer agreement's future status was in doubt at the time of the draft, there was a much better reason to be reluctant to draft Euros than the existance of the Russian league. Namely, with no transfer agreement in place there is a very real possibility that either you can't get a player out of Europe as you can't get him out of his existing situation or after you do get a player signed he may opt to leave during the time he is under contract to you and there is no guarantee that the courts in the other country will hold your contract valid in that country. Regardless, it will be interesting to see how that league evolves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.