Prospect Info: Aleksander Kisakov, F (53rd overall, 2021) - SIGNED to 3 year ELC

[Dingo44]

Always love seeing prospects repping the team months or years after they were drafted, especially with all of the panic about some of the NCAA guys returning for another year.

Both Poktapov and Kisakov regularly like Instagram posts from the Sabres or guys on the team. They definitely seem invested. Would love to see them at Development Camp but I'm guessing they won't be able to come this summer.

 

[Fjordsen]

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My city

 

[jmelm]

Always love seeing prospects repping the team months or years after they were drafted, especially with all of the panic about some of the NCAA guys returning for another year.

Or him wearing the hat is just part of some grand conspiracy against the Sabres and he's going to play in Russia until he's a UFA, and then go sign with the Rangers or something.

 

[Gras]

Or him wearing the hat is just part of some grand conspiracy against the Sabres and he's going to play in Russia until he's a UFA, and then go sign with the Rangers or something.

 

[Chainshot]

Both Poktapov and Kisakov regularly like Instagram posts from the Sabres or guys on the team. They definitely seem invested. Would love to see them at Development Camp but I'm guessing they won't be able to come this summer.

Kisakov has no contract for next year and is going to be 20 in November. Weird to think of them maybe signing him, especially at his size, but I wonder if that's something they would think of trying?

 

[NotABadPeriod]

Kisakov has no contract for next year and is going to be 20 in November. Weird to think of them maybe signing him, especially at his size, but I wonder if that's something they would think of trying?

Does anyone in the CHL hold his rights?

 

[Chainshot]

Does anyone in the CHL hold his rights?

Not that I have ever found.

 

[WhereAreTheCookies]

Kisakov has no contract for next year and is going to be 20 in November. Weird to think of them maybe signing him, especially at his size, but I wonder if that's something they would think of trying?

Aren't the Sabres required to have a minimum number of prospects on the Amerks roster? Or at least they need to have played under a certain number of games? With the possibility of JJ and Quinn graduating to the NHL they may need some additional young players to bolster the ranks.

 

[Chainshot]

Aren't the Sabres required to have a minimum number of prospects on the Amerks roster? Or at least they need to have played under a certain number of games? With the possibility of JJ and Quinn graduating to the NHL they may need some additional young players to bolster the ranks.

12 guys with less than 260 pro games and a 13th with less than 320 pro games.

 

[jmelm]

CHL would be ideal.

I wouldn't want to bring him over to the AHL unless there was at least one (and preferably more than 1) other, older Russian player on the team who could help take him under their wing and help him adjust, on and off the ice.

Otherwise, it's better to leave him in Russia even if he has to sign a 2-3 year deal and may have to stay a bit longer than initially hoped.

 

[Chainshot]

CHL would be ideal.

I wouldn't want to bring him over to the AHL unless there was at least one (and preferably more than 1) other, older Russian player on the team who could help take him under their wing and help him adjust, on and off the ice.

Otherwise, it's better to leave him in Russia even if he has to sign a 2-3 year deal and may have to stay a bit longer than initially hoped.

I wonder if they could get him onto a USHL team instead like Sardaryan is? I know their draft is usually in early May...

 

[jmelm]

I wonder if they could get him onto a USHL team instead like Sardaryan is? I know their draft is usually in early May...

I don't know what the mechanisms or rules are for that, but my first instinct says that it's probably a downgrade in terms of quality of play (or lateral move at best) and probably not worth bringing him over for that.

But primarily, I'd assume it's not a great option because the USHL is usually a precursor to college, or in some cases the CHL. I don't know if anyone has ever gone from the USHL to the AHL before. And even if that somehow did happen that he were to make a jump from the USHL to the AHL the following year, it still would be good to have a Russian teammate for the same reasons I mentioned before.

I also have no idea what the CHL import draft window or timing is. If this year's import draft hasn't happened yet and he wanted to come over, I would think theoretically it's not too late? Unless there were also CHL rules that have an age restriction on imports...but even then, you would think he's still young enough?

Hmmm....?

 

[Chainshot]

I don't know what the mechanisms or rules are for that, but my first instinct says that it's probably a downgrade in terms of quality of play (or lateral move at best) and probably not worth bringing him over for that.

But primarily, I'd assume it's not a great option because the USHL is usually a precursor to college, or in some cases the CHL. I don't know if anyone has ever gone from the USHL to the AHL before. And even if that somehow did happen that he were to make a jump from the USHL to the AHL the following year, it still would be good to have a Russian teammate for the same reasons I mentioned before.

I also have no idea what the CHL import draft window or timing is. If this year's import draft hasn't happened yet and he wanted to come over, I would think theoretically it's not too late? Unless there were also CHL rules that have an age restriction on imports...but even then, you would think he's still young enough?

Hmmm....?

He didn't get selected last year and the CHL has said they will not be drafting anyone from Russia or Belarus this year.

As for the CHL, yeah many guys to go the collegiate route from there. Murray went back after leaving PennSt. and tore things up before signing an AHL deal. Usually the only people who come in late are either leaving school (academics sometimes) before moving to a new university.

 

[jmelm]

He didn't get selected last year and the CHL has said they will not be drafting anyone from Russia or Belarus this year.

As for the CHL, yeah many guys to go the collegiate route from there. Murray went back after leaving PennSt. and tore things up before signing an AHL deal. Usually the only people who come in late are either leaving school (academics sometimes) before moving to a new university.

Ahh yes, I forgot about the Russia/Belarus thing, but that makes sense.

So I would just leave him in Russia, and he'll come over whenever he's ready or able. Just in the same way the Russian kids drafted this year will be, which would be the plan if we drafted Yurov at 16, or one of the other Russians that slide with the FLA 1st or BUF 2nd/3rd/etc.

 

[Chainshot]

Ahh yes, I forgot about the Russia/Belarus thing, but that makes sense.

So I would just leave him in Russia, and he'll come over whenever he's ready or able. Just in the same way the Russian kids drafted this year will be, which would be the plan if we drafted Yurov at 16, or one of the other Russians that slide with the FLA 1st or BUF 2nd/3rd/etc.

Yeah, that's probably best and what I would assume. Dynamo is a solid team.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

I don't know what the mechanisms or rules are for that, but my first instinct says that it's probably a downgrade in terms of quality of play (or lateral move at best) and probably not worth bringing him over for that.

But primarily, I'd assume it's not a great option because the USHL is usually a precursor to college, or in some cases the CHL. I don't know if anyone has ever gone from the USHL to the AHL before. And even if that somehow did happen that he were to make a jump from the USHL to the AHL the following year, it still would be good to have a Russian teammate for the same reasons I mentioned before.

I also have no idea what the CHL import draft window or timing is. If this year's import draft hasn't happened yet and he wanted to come over, I would think theoretically it's not too late? Unless there were also CHL rules that have an age restriction on imports...but even then, you would think he's still young enough?

Hmmm....?

CHL rules for imports are this: only two are allowed for each team, unless one of them is a 1st round NHL pick. But the player has to be drafted from a European team. If they’re drafted into the CHL from a North American team, they don’t count as an import. There’s no explicit rule against a team having an overage import, but they’ll fill in a spot of “import” and “overager” simultaneously instead of one or the other.

 

[Lloydchristmas138]

I don't know what the mechanisms or rules are for that, but my first instinct says that it's probably a downgrade in terms of quality of play (or lateral move at best) and probably not worth bringing him over for that.

But primarily, I'd assume it's not a great option because the USHL is usually a precursor to college, or in some cases the CHL. I don't know if anyone has ever gone from the USHL to the AHL before. And even if that somehow did happen that he were to make a jump from the USHL to the AHL the following year, it still would be good to have a Russian teammate for the same reasons I mentioned before.

I also have no idea what the CHL import draft window or timing is. If this year's import draft hasn't happened yet and he wanted to come over, I would think theoretically it's not too late? Unless there were also CHL rules that have an age restriction on imports...but even then, you would think he's still young enough?

Hmmm....?

Zemgus went from the USHL to the AHL, no? I feel like I remember that he fared decently, probably stunted his offensive growth though

 

[jmelm]

Zemgus went from the USHL to the AHL, no? I feel like I remember that he fared decently, probably stunted his offensive growth though

Looking at his hockeydb page it certainly seems you’re right.

I would be perfectly fine with him going to the USHL and then to the AHL from a quality of hockey point of view — USHL could help him adapt to the NA style of game before making the jump to pro.

But my bigger concern is the non hockey/off ice stuff. If he could even go to the USHL and then to the AHL, I would need to be very confident about the team he was going to, who he would be living with, etc. It’s a hell of a lot of pressure to put on a young kid. Some could handle it well and others not. And I would only even consider this if it came from the player and his agent that they really wanted to do this.

Conversely, there’s no real risk to leaving him in Russia for a few more years. If he can be on a good team where’s he’s getting the ice time and opportunity, and as long as he doesn’t sign a 5 year contract or something long like that, he should be fine. I’m sure we’ll find out the plan for him pretty soon.

 

[Paxon]

Zemgus went from the USHL to the AHL, no? I feel like I remember that he fared decently, probably stunted his offensive growth though

I know a lot of us feel that way about his development but, honestly, he probably just never had the skill to develop offensively the way people hoped for.

 

[WhereAreTheCookies]

I know a lot of us feel that way about his development but, honestly, he probably just never had the skill to develop offensively the way people hoped for.

I don't think he ever had the offensive upside people were hoping for. He was more of a high floor, low ceiling type of player when he was drafted. He was seen as a 2-way center with good skating, leadership and grit. The thought at the time if I remember correctly among the fellow Sabres fans I talked to after that draft on a different message board was long term he could peak as a 2C, but his floor would be a 4C. Obviously he never produced enough to be a 2C, but he's been a solid 3rd/4th line player his entire career. He was a safe pick more than a high risk/reward type of pick.

 

[Zman5778]

 

[My Cozen Dylan]

Interesting. Hopefully he's joining Rochester next year then?

 

[Ace]

2022 Buffalo Sabres…where it’s easier to get people out of Russia than college.

 

[Royal Thunder]

Very interesting indeed, figured he was several years away from potentially coming over

 

[The Blunder Years]

Wonder what the plan is here. Maybe not a lot of opportunity in Dynamo’s KHL club? Just an assumption but playing in Roch could be more enticing to him, allowing a better adjustment to NA style.