Shutdown Pair

Tag: Zack Kassian

  • Kassian Not A Solution

    First spotted via a Bob McKenzie tweet, Zack Kassian is expected to sign his entry-level deal today.  BZK is tearing it up with the Spits, with 7 goals, 13 assists in 11 games.  He is the Sabres’ 1st rounder from 2009, 13th overall.

    However, he’s not a solution for the Sabres woes, as he is not eligible to play except in an emergency situation, since he was not under contract before the NHL season started.  What is an emergency situation?  Here’s a good quote from The Puck Stops Here, who covered a similar situation with Brayden Schenn last season:

    Under normal circumstances, after an NHL team sends a player back to junior, they cannot call him up for the remainder of the season.  The only exception to this is in an emergency situation, where the team could not otherwise ice a full lineup of players.

    So that means no healthy scratch forwards.  Also, Kassian would have to be closer than the potential AHL call-ups, so he’d have to be the only option that could get there in time.  Not very likely.  So, we’ll still have to hold out hope for a shake-up trade of a certain top 20 center.

  • Preseason Leafs Smackdown Thoughts

    I went to the Sabres’ 3-1 win over the Leafs on Saturday, and have a few thoughts on what I saw (my phone was out of commission so no pictures, sorry):

    1. Kassian is a beast.  Too bad there won’t likely be a roster spot for him.
    2. Vanek glove-punching a guy was great.
    3. Ennis is going to be good, could be a good addition to the top 6.
    4. Stafford didn’t look out of place on the top 6 either, though, he had some physical plays.
    5. Gerbe knocked down Luca Caputi.  He gives up 9 inches to him (save your ‘That’s what SHE said’ jokes, please).
    6. Guy who whistled like a bird all game:  no one likes you.
    7. To the Leafs fan who whined that we had to use our ‘regular lineup’ to beat their rookies:  HA-HA!  I actually gave Toronto more of a chance with some of those guys in, since they weren’t corrupted by the pre-Burke/Wilson Leafs organization.

    If I can manage to find the game on TV tonight, I’ll be watching from home.  Probably.  Here’s the lineup for this game, courtesy of the Buffalo News.  Maybe that Leafs whiner will be happy, since they will have a more ‘regular’ lineup for tonight.

  • Kassian, Tallinder, Lydman and You

    John Vogl over at the Buffalo News has a wide ranging interview up with Darcy Regier, that’s a great readif you haven’t gotten there already.  The biggest update is on Zack Kassian, where Darcy is temporarily putting contract negotiations on hold.  I don’t think this is that huge, as it sounds like Zack was getting the business from some drunk assholes, and gave it back to them.  He shouldn’t have done it, not at all, but it happens.  He needs to learn from it, and hopefully this delay in signing will remind him that he needs to be more responsible, as shenanigans like that could affect his livelihood.

    Darcy also mentioned that he’s had talks with the agents for Henrik Tallinder and Toni Lydman, and expects them to continue next week.  Doesn’t necessarily mean either one comes back, but he’s putting the work in.

    For other work Regier is putting in, he also apparently has talked to ‘all’ the other GMs, including Brian Burke, but wouldn’t comment about getting Kaberle.  I imagine some (maybe most) of those conversations have been of the “hey, do you want anybody we have?  No?  Okay, see you at the draft” variety.  Could be wrong, though.

    And finally, I just want to thank everyone that’s been reading and commenting.  It’s well beyond what I was expecting, you guys are the best.

  • On Zack Kassian

    As you all have heard by now, Zack Kassian was arrested after a bar fight the other day.  The linked article at the Windsor Star has what few details there are, along with an epic picture of BZK that more than anything makes him look like a jerk.  One of the commenters at this article says the other guy ‘got what he deserved’.  Put as much stock in that as you would any random, anonymous internet comment.

    You have to wonder what this will do to Zack and his ELC.  Just a few weeks ago, it looked like Darcy was leaning towards signing him up and giving him a shot, now, who knows?  Would another year in juniors fix maturity issues?  Will being in Portland?  For that one, it might depend on whether or not Kevin Dineen jumps on one of the NHL coaching jobs.  The Sabres NEED his size and physicality, so it’ll be interesting to keep an eye on this situation over the next few weeks.

    edit:  Well this post was timely.  The Buffalo News reports Kassian was formally charged in this matter.

  • UFA! UFA! UFA!

    Since the Buffalo Sabres have been eliminated for a while now, I think it’s safe to take a look at the pending UFAs and see who we want to bring back.  The Sabres got out ahead of us, by announcing the signing of Mike Grier to a 1 yr, $1.4 million deal the other day.  He said right off he wanted to be back, so this was the easiest decision GMDR and company have made.  Grier is an important part of the PK as well as being the sort of hard worker you want the younger guys learning from and leaning on.

    The rest of the UFAs, with last season’s cap hit after:

    • Raffi Torres – $2,250,000
    • Adam Mair – $758,333
    • Matt Ellis – $500,000
    • Toni Lydman – $2,875,000
    • Henrik Tallinder – $2,562,500
    • Patrick Lalime – $1,000,000

    Not including the AHL roster filler guys like Joe DiPenta (although Cody McCormick did make an impression).  Looking at the forwards, I’d be fairly certain Raffi Torres is not sticking around.  He just never found ‘it’ here, and he has his sights set on other locales anyway.  Mair and Ellis are a bit different, though.  It’s easy to say ‘let them both go!’ and bring in Gerbe or Ennis or someone like that, but it’s not that simple.  Mair has stuck around longer than you’d imagine, simply due to the fact that he’s one of the few ‘tough’ Sabres.  But there are guys coming up (Zack Kassian, for one) who can provide that with more upside.  Matt Ellis seems more likely to be back, especially if he is willing/able to go on a two-way deal.  Lindy seems to be a big fan, and he has been a consistent effort guy, which you can’t always say for the top six as currently formed.

    For the defense (your honor), Tallinder and Lydman are both heading towards free agency.  Keeping both seems unlikely, but I’m not sure which one I would choose.  Lydman may be better all around, but I also have a hard time letting go of the guy Tyler Myers developed so much chemistry with.  Keeping neither is also an option, though the questions around Rivet’s shoulder might make at least one coming back more likely.

    As for backup goalie, Patrick Lalime may be the best option out there as far as a guy willing to take that role, unless Marty Biron decides it’s worth coming back.  To be honest, the numbers weren’t much different last year between the two, but Marty is still a fan favorite and has an obvious love of the area.  Management is probably comfortable with either guy, so the wants and needs of other teams may be the biggest factor here.

    A trade involving the upper half of the roster is still possible, and I know some of you are hoping it’s likely, to give the forward lines a bit of a shakeup.  I don’t think that does much to change what the Sabres do with these guys, though.  Will be looking at RFAs another time.