Canucks get Zack Kassian

[Fred]

As most I'm sure know the Sedins were pretty prized soccer players in Sweden National U-18 level, and that's when they decided to give up on soccer and go for it in hockey. Any ways I heard Hank telling that generally they both just went home in the summer and played soccer and felt that was more than adequate to keep them in shape. Well eventually they figured out that it was not adequate they started doing more specific training and that's really how they turned them selves around and became what they have.

[Strangelove]

Used to be a lurker on the other site for years.

fucking lurkers...

You probably thought i was a major league asshole didn't you ?

[His silence is speaking fucking volumes.

Trololololo =D

Blobby, blobster, never had a problem with you.

Heh - I think my original username might have been rebby or something. Marcus Naslund regular season goal - home goal-line and an end-to-end wristshot goal in tight.

I posted a "Pavel who?"

... and Strangelove (I think) told me to go away.

So I did, and when I wanted to post again I had forgotten my password and went, f-it.

So The Great Strangelove was the "major league asshole"??

Hard to believe!

(btw I made you forget your password)

[Strangelove]

IN response to the "you guys paid Vanek so much ZOMG" comment a few pages back, that contract was awarded after we saw Darcy Regier actually handcuffed by the in-house cap and being forced to watch Chris Drury and Danny Briere both walk. I think it was Montreal that offered Vanek a ridiculous offer sheet, and it pretty much fucked our salary for the immediate future. Regier didn't have any choice but to match it, or you would have had a riot in the streets of Buffalo.

Wotever ole bean.

I was just responding to your (and RD's) in-house cap posts.

Truth is the Sabres were fairly big spenders.

[Per]

Truth is the Sabres were fairly big spenders.

[nyintensity]

Everything I have heard out this kid's mouth impresses me. He sounds like a very respectful kid and a gentle giant off the ice. He comes across as a real humble guy and extremely excited and eager to be on a contender and a Canadian team.

A friend of mine from Michigan saw him in a bar a few weeks/months ago...my friend was wearing a Sabres shirt and Kassian came up to him:
ZK: "hey, you like the Sabres, huh?"
Friend: "yeah, they're my favorite team"
ZK: "do you know who i am?"
Friend: "Of course. You're Zack Kassian. Can I get a picture?"
ZK: "we're in a bar, i'm 20...probably not. but thanks for being a fan"

Just thought I'd add some weight to your presumption.

[nyintensity]

IN response to the "you guys paid Vanek so much ZOMG" comment a few pages back, that contract was awarded after we saw Darcy Regier actually handcuffed by the in-house cap and being forced to watch Chris Drury and Danny Briere both walk. I think it was Montreal that offered Vanek a ridiculous offer sheet, and it pretty much fucked our salary for the immediate future. Regier didn't have any choice but to match it, or you would have had a riot in the streets of Buffalo.

I was just responding to your (and RD's) in-house cap posts.

I wasn't refuting that point at all...(I've made the same point on the Sabres message boards, but it's a great thing for people to try to blame when all else points to Ruff and our veteran players).

[damonberryman]

I am getting kind of mixed up reading all the varying reports on Rich Winter and what he said or did no say. Did Cody ask for a trade through his agent? Has Winter been pestering the club about Cody's ice time?

Does anyone have the real story on this because trying to read through the Vancouver Media does me little in the way of good?

It is no big deal now but if Cody was being a distraction in the room with disgruntled attitude then it becomes easier for me to understand the trade. Not that my understanding is of paramount importance but the trade was a blow for me and I suspect many other fans who liked the kid and saw our future with him near the top of the next generation.

What it comes down to for me is feeling fooled by what seemed to be a great attitude. I have seen no sign it was false and the kid sounded unhappy when he went on NHL Tonight a few minutes after he found out about the trade. I can see some greedy agent making this happen because he wants Cody to be a star now so the money will be better with the next contract.

However, I have trouble seeing the kid as being part of it and in that case he was used badly by his agent. He seemed popular on the club and always enthusiastic.

Any further info would be appreciated.

[Arachnid]

I am getting kind of mixed up reading all the varying reports on Rich Winter and what he said or did no say. Did Cody ask for a trade through his agent? Has Winter been pestering the club about Cody's ice time?

Does anyone have the real story on this because trying to read through the Vancouver Media does me little in the way of good?

It is no big deal now but if Cody was being a distraction in the room with disgruntled attitude then it becomes easier for me to understand the trade. Not that my understanding is of paramount importance but the trade was a blow for me and I suspect many other fans who liked the kid and saw our future with him near the top of the next generation.

What it comes down to for me is feeling fooled by what seemed to be a great attitude. I have seen no sign it was false and the kid sounded unhappy when he went on NHL Tonight a few minutes after he found out about the trade. I can see some greedy agent making this happen because he wants Cody to be a star now so the money will be better with the next contract.

However, I have trouble seeing the kid as being part of it and in that case he was used badly by his agent. He seemed popular on the club and always enthusiastic.

Any further info would be appreciated.

He's gone now, move on...to tell truth I briefly contemplated a Kick Zassian versus CoHo tracking thread for points and +/- but what's the point? We are an elite team full of talent heading into a hopefully deep playoff run with eyes on only one thing (and no distraction this year on individual mind-engorging awards...)

-Hey, there's a theory...maybe the team decided no individual trophies this year...only one ring to bind them...they all pledged that if anyone went for or received one they would be killed...and so Cody had to go because he was a candidate for one...-

Butt really now, Buffalo won't make the playoffs or even if they do they don't have a deep team except for a hot goalie..so I decided not to track our lost future...and if I can let go that fast ands that easily then you can too...

Playoffs are around the corner my fellow Canucklehead

[dbr]

Does anyone have the real story on this because trying to read through the Vancouver Media does me little in the way of good?

No. Connect the dots all you like - there are plenty of "no comments" where "no" would have been acceptable, Winter has since gone in and cleaned up his twitter feed after letting the only really juicy tidbit slip (or perhaps that was a hacker, as Winter suggests ) - but it's evident that whatever happened nobody wants to talk about it now.

Maybe it comes out in a few years but right now all we know is that everybody has clammed up. Probably best for both sides at this point.

[Corb]

I get the feeling Cody doesn't even really know what happened.

[rats19]

Surprised at the timing more than anything I think..expected summertime change and one more deep run for a cup ..

[donlever]

Surprised at the timing more than anything I think..expected summertime change and one more deep run for a cup ..

...I wouldn't think the team is assuming otherwise ratman.

Clearly the power brokers came to the conclusion a change in dynamics would be necessary moving forward for this year as well as the future.

The club still wholeheartedly believes it has a deep run in store.

I do not believe they attached a whole lot of weight to the fact that Cody was going to be an integral part of that at this point in his career however.

[rats19]

Meant from cody/winter standpoint, not the team.

[donlever]

Meant from cody/winter standpoint, not the team.

...yeah, you Albertans never make sense to me anyway.

[clem]

I get the feeling Cody doesn't even really know what happened.

Cody's recent answers to questions about the trade have become stilted - like he's reading from someone else's script.