Toggle sidebar

2023 NHL Draft June 28 and 29, Nashville, TN (Selections - 13, 39, 45, 86, 109, 141, 173, 205)

Status
Not open for further replies.

don22

Registered User
Jan 29, 2021
81
24
Jim Bob said:
NHL Draft 2022 top prospects: Standouts from the Hlinka Gretzky Cup



With the Sabres taking a lot of Russians in 2021, it will be fun to debate whether the Sabres should take Michkov, if they can, in 2023.

Right now, the biggest issue is his long term deal with SKA in the KHL. He is signed through the 2025-26 season.

Nobody Can Stop 16-Year-Old Phenom Matvei Michkov



Click to expand...

My main concern right now is making sure this kid does his 1 year of conscription. I still have no idea how it works. Is it like some countries where he can go on the weekends, summer, or whatever, until 1 year is completed or is it a solid year? It's gotta be broken down because you don't ever see breaks in these kids careers on their EP page.

Also, he can buyout the contract himself. ($1.4M)/5 years = 280k year. He will have completed 2/5 years by the time of his draft. Figure he probably plays another season at least in the K, that's 3/5. Then he basically needs 560k after earning 840k.

This can also easily be settled by a 3rd party. Nike, adidas, I don't know who sponsors hockey stuff nowawadays. Give him a nice fat contract, that buys him out. The problem will be, if there are still sanctions, how would he get his USD money from sponsors to Russia if Russia is banned from SWIFT?

If push comes to shove, I'm sure we can collect the necessary cash among us as a fanbase haha. I'm good for 20 bucks.
 
Jim Bob

Jim Bob

RIP RJ
Feb 27, 2002
58,745
39,766
Rochester, NY
don22 said:
My main concern right now is making sure this kid does his 1 year of conscription. I still have no idea how it works. Is it like some countries where he can go on the weekends, summer, or whatever, until 1 year is completed or is it a solid year? It's gotta be broken down because you don't ever see breaks in these kids careers on their EP page.

Also, he can buyout the contract himself. ($1.4M)/5 years = 280k year. He will have completed 2/5 years by the time of his draft. Figure he probably plays another season at least in the K, that's 3/5. Then he basically needs 560k after earning 840k.

This can also easily be settled by a 3rd party. Nike, adidas, I don't know who sponsors hockey stuff nowawadays. Give him a nice fat contract, that buys him out. The problem will be, if there are still sanctions, how would he get his USD money from sponsors to Russia if Russia is banned from SWIFT?

If push comes to shove, I'm sure we can collect the necessary cash among us as a fanbase haha. I'm good for 20 bucks.
Click to expand...
The big challenge with Mitchov is that SKA is known to be one of the teams that holds onto their players.

I don't know that you could expect that buying his way out is a realistic option.

And the Fedotov situation is in part because of his team and the fact that he had another year left on his KHL deal and he was trying to leave for the NHL. You try and do that with the wrong KHL team (CSKA & SKA are two of those teams) and messed up stuff can happen, like we have seen.

I hope the Sabres are not in a spot to draft Michkov. But if they were to land the 2nd pick through the lottery, the Michkov vs Fantilli conversation will be interesting.

With all the forwards the Sabres have coming, I would likely be all for taking Michkov and waiting for him to come over.
 

don22

Registered User
Jan 29, 2021
81
24
Jim Bob said:
The big challenge with Mitchov is that SKA is known to be one of the teams that holds onto their players.

I don't know that you could expect that buying his way out is a realistic option.

And the Fedotov situation is in part because of his team and the fact that he had another year left on his KHL deal and he was trying to leave for the NHL. You try and do that with the wrong KHL team (CSKA & SKA are two of those teams) and messed up stuff can happen, like we have seen.

I hope the Sabres are not in a spot to draft Michkov. But if they were to land the 2nd pick through the lottery, the Michkov vs Fantilli conversation will be interesting.

With all the forwards the Sabres have coming, I would likely be all for taking Michkov and waiting for him to come over.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure how the buyout process works, if it needs to be a two-way street. However, from what examples do you have that you're drawing from. I know Panarin, Shipyachov, Kuzmenko, Kovaluchuk, and others left, but I don't know if it was a buyout. I'd have to imagine that refusing to allow your player to go to the NHL is a good way of decreasing interest from potential fringe NHL players. So, I'm not so sure that's accurate, but it might be worth double checking.

I mean, with Fedotov. That was pretty bold of him to try that maneuver while committing a felony. At least Kaprizov bought a military card. I'm not saying him trying to break his contract didn't play a role, but there were certainly more variables in play.
 

don22

Registered User
Jan 29, 2021
81
24
Archie Lee said:
If we are in the running for a top pick in 2023, then it is my sincere hope that it is because we either:

- acquired an unprotected 1st in 2023 as part of an Eichel trade; or
- we finished just out of the playoffs and beat extremely long odds to win the lottery.

If you use the Eichel draft in 2015 as the dividing line (pre and post Eichel), the Sabres currently have:

- Nine players in their system who were drafted in the 1st round over the past 6 years (Thompson, Mittelstadt, Jokiharju, Dahlin, Cozens, Johnson, Quinn, Power and Rosen); five of those players were top 8 and two were 1st overall
- Multiple additional well-regarded (depending on how you evaluate well-regarded) youngish players and prospects (Asplund, Laaksonen, Ruotsalainen, Peterka, Samuelsson, Luukkonen, Bryson, Portillo, Levi, this year's 2nd rd picks and others)
- Six picks (three 1sts and three 2nds) in the first two rounds of the next two drafts; and
- They are almost certainly going to add at least 2 and possibly 3-4 assets that fit into these categories once an Eichel trade is completed.

The Sabres have missed the playoffs 10 straight years and finished dead last in 4 of those years.

What is nearly unimaginable to me, is that an organization or any member of its fan-base would look at that prospect and draft capital and at a current 10 year history of losing and think:

"You know what we really need? At least 2 more years of sucking really hard."

If we are picking 1st in 2023 because of our own continued ineptitude, purposeful or otherwise, then we will be at great risk of having a Lemieux/Lindros situation where a top prospect says "I'm not putting that jersey on".

What the Sabres need is to start winning hockey games.
Click to expand...

I very much expect us to finish around the same spot, give or take a couple of wins. I think next year will be more exciting with the new kids up, but there are going to be growing pains. You can't expect a seamless transition right off the bat. There are so many intriciacies of playing in the NHL , like playing without the puck, that a replacement level player we're switching them for will be ahead of them in.

When you consider that, along with the ice time they'll command, I think that's a recipe for more exciting play, but fewer wins in the short-term.

Depending on how the teams perform below us. We could be in the mix with Michkov, but I doubt it. We would have to win the lottery.

So, anyone expecting us to improve on our record next year will be disappointed. However, kids like Cozens and Dahlin could make a bigger leap and carry us to more wins, which I hope.

This season for me is not about w/l, it's about giving these kids, not only ice time, but important ice time, especially in crucial situations. That may have some bumps in the road, but it will help us down the road when we're ready to compete in 2 seasons from now.
 
Jim Bob

Jim Bob

RIP RJ
Feb 27, 2002
58,745
39,766
Rochester, NY
don22 said:
I'm not sure how the buyout process works, if it needs to be a two-way street. However, from what examples do you have that you're drawing from. I know Panarin, Shipyachov, Kuzmenko, Kovaluchuk, and others left, but I don't know if it was a buyout. I'd have to imagine that refusing to allow your player to go to the NHL is a good way of decreasing interest from potential fringe NHL players. So, I'm not so sure that's accurate, but it might be worth double checking.

I mean, with Fedotov. That was pretty bold of him to try that maneuver while committing a felony. At least Kaprizov bought a military card. I'm not saying him trying to break his contract didn't play a role, but there were certainly more variables in play.
Click to expand...
Certain KHL teams have close ties to the Russian military and government. CSKA (FKA the Central Red Army Team) and SKA St Pete are two of them.

Not all KHL teams handle things the same way. So, I would just plan on Michkov having to play out his contract with SKA before coming over to NA. If you make it happen sooner, it's a bonus.
 

don22

Registered User
Jan 29, 2021
81
24
Jim Bob said:
Certain KHL teams have close ties to the Russian military and government. CSKA (FKA the Central Red Army Team) and SKA St Pete are two of them.

Not all KHL teams handle things the same way. So, I would just plan on Michkov having to play out his contract with SKA before coming over to NA. If you make it happen sooner, it's a bonus.
Click to expand...
I mean, they used to. It doesn't really mean as much as it used to now. It's mostly just a name.

I think he'll get a buy out. But maybe not. Either way, whoever takes him is likely getting a franchise player at some point. Would be great if it's us
 
Jim Bob

Jim Bob

RIP RJ
Feb 27, 2002
58,745
39,766
Rochester, NY
don22 said:
I mean, they used to. It doesn't really mean as much as it used to now. It's mostly just a name.

I think he'll get a buy out. But maybe not. Either way, whoever takes him is likely getting a franchise player at some point. Would be great if it's us
Click to expand...
If you listen to the people that report on hockey out of Russia, it isn't just a name and CSKA's ties to the military played a big part in what happened to Fedotov.

It was CSKA telling all the guys under contract that leaving early for the NHL is not an option.
 
Fjordy

Fjordy

Registered User
Jun 20, 2018
17,062
9,380
Jim Bob said:
They let all those players leave prior to their contracts with SKA expiring?
Click to expand...
The contract ended and they left. SKA will not keep a player in the KHL if he wants to leave for the NHL, of course, you must comply with the contract, but basically no one interferes. On the contrary, the owner (who is also the head coach) is proud that Panarin, Shesterkin and the rest play in the NHL.
 
Jim Bob

Jim Bob

RIP RJ
Feb 27, 2002
58,745
39,766
Rochester, NY
Fjordy said:
The contract ended and they left. SKA will not keep a player in the KHL if he wants to leave for the NHL, of course, you must comply with the contract, but basically no one interferes. On the contrary, the owner (who is also the head coach) is proud that Panarin, Shesterkin and the rest play in the NHL.
Click to expand...
That was my point.

I was saying that if you draft Michkov, you expect to have to wait for his current deal with SKA to expire before he comes over to NA. I wasn't saying that they would hold onto him forever.
 
Fjordy

Fjordy

Registered User
Jun 20, 2018
17,062
9,380
Jim Bob said:
That was my point.

I was saying that if you draft Michkov, you expect to have to wait for his current deal with SKA to expire before he comes over to NA. I wasn't saying that they would hold onto him forever.
Click to expand...
Gotcha

I just saw a comment about the army of the one you were talking to and thought that you think they are being held hostage there. :)
 

don22

Registered User
Jan 29, 2021
81
24
I went back and checked all of the players in question. It seems all of them were free agents, with their SKA contracts running out. So, I guess there really is no evidence to indicate that a player has been bought out of his contract. Then again, there is not really any information that any player has tried.

In the case of Michkov, he will have the money to do so. The only other guy on the list with the money to buyout their contract would've been Kovalchuk, but that would have been a hefty sum, even for him.

So, I still think it's possible
 
Fjordy

Fjordy

Registered User
Jun 20, 2018
17,062
9,380
don22 said:
I went back and checked all of the players in question. It seems all of them were free agents, with their SKA contracts running out. So, I guess there really is no evidence to indicate that a player has been bought out of his contract. Then again, there is not really any information that any player has tried.

In the case of Michkov, he will have the money to do so. The only other guy on the list with the money to buyout their contract would've been Kovalchuk, but that would have been a hefty sum, even for him.

So, I still think it's possible
Click to expand...
Initially, I just didn’t understand and thought that you weren’t talking about buying out a contract, but simply about a player whose contract ended and they still wouldn’t let him go. But in general, yes, players usually play until the end of the contract. I think Michkov will play until the end of his contract with SKA, and then he will come to the NHL. It can be taken by a team that is in a long rebuilding and they have nowhere to rush. Although in terms of talent, of course, he must compete with Bedard.
 

don22

Registered User
Jan 29, 2021
81
24
I don't think it's going to matter if that team is on a fresh rebuild or the tail end of their rebuild. You have to take Michkov number 2 regardless.
 
MarkusKetterer

MarkusKetterer

Shoulda got one game in
Jun 29, 2017
18,021
14,018
Canada’s 5th most dangerous city
www.twitter.com
Jim Bob said:
If you listen to the people that report on hockey out of Russia, it isn't just a name and CSKA's ties to the military played a big part in what happened to Fedotov.

It was CSKA telling all the guys under contract that leaving early for the NHL is not an option.
Click to expand...

Fedotov’s contract with CSKA had expired. That’s why he signed with the Flyers.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Fjordy

elchud

Registered User
Nov 1, 2015
3,343
2,189
East is so competitive

I'm resigned to us picking 11th or 12th this draft
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Ad

Latest posts

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

Top Bottom
X