hf101 Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 “With all due respect to the Sabres organization, I decided this week not to continue playing hockey this season,” Klesla said. “It has been a tough year for injury and moving several times to new teams. I will now take some time off and get ready to continue my career in Europe …” http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2014/03/08/rostislav-klesla-passes-on-joining-sabres-organization-following-trade/related/ Interesting move here by Kesla, who was traded to the Caps from Phoenix two days prior to being traded to the Sabres with Neuvirth. He has been up and down from the AHL and suffered a concussion via a hit by Jordan Nolan - Ted Nolan's son. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polaris922 Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 Interesting move here by Kesla, who was traded to the Caps from Phoenix two days prior to being traded to the Sabres with Neuvirth. He has been up and down from the AHL and suffered a concussion via a hit by Jordan Nolan - Ted Nolan's son.Shouldn't be allowed to do that. You signed a contract agreeing to play so many games. The team gave up assets to get your contract. You shouldn't be allowed to tell them no just because you feel like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 I'm thinkin Kesla will not be Ricks favourite player moving forward??....that team is so bad I'm heading off to the KHL kinda hate going on ....ha ha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 Shouldn't be allowed to do that. You signed a contract agreeing to play so many games. The team gave up assets to get your contract. You shouldn't be allowed to tell them no just because you feel like it. This is SUPER lame on his part, very unprofessional...we don't want you in our league anyways Kesla.....get lost, go to the KHL and NEVER comeback!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlaskaFlyerFan Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 This is SUPER lame on his part, very unprofessional...we don't want you in our league anyways Kesla.....get lost, go to the KHL and NEVER comeback!!@jammer2,Totally agree. Does the NHL step in and revise the trade? Do the award the Sabres with a draft pick or money?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyercanuck Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 Shouldn't be allowed to do that. You signed a contract agreeing to play so many games. The team gave up assets to get your contract. You shouldn't be allowed to tell them no just because you feel like it. I agree. The guy should have to pay back whatever he's owed in the remainder of his contract out of his next contract. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hf101 Posted March 9, 2014 Author Share Posted March 9, 2014 @jammer2,Totally agree. Does the NHL step in and revise the trade? Do the award the Sabres with a draft pick or money?? Wow good point AFF, Phoenix and / or the Caps may have caught wind that Kesla wanted to play in the KHL next season. The Sabres should cry foul trade for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 Kesla was strictly a throw in to balance the money out, otherwise Halak would not have fit under the cap in Washington. He was targeted to get sent to the AHL and Rochester. By not reporting to Rochester he forfeits the rest of his contract, roughly 700 grand for this year. The Sabres did not really want him. Washington did not want him. Phoenix had sent him to the AHL where he played 25 games and was given to the Caps to balance out salary in the Erat deal. Essentially he was a salary dump twice within a week, nobody wanted him, personally I would have been quite thrilled to play for Rochester for that kind of money but apparently Rusty felt a bit like a spare tire and saw the writing on the wall, and simply decided that he would give up the rest of his contract and call it a career in North America. Personally, I think I could have managed to have sucked it up and played for that money but his days in the NHL were over and he knew it. Buffalo shouldn't expect anything back, from what I understand he would have only been called up in the event of a series of injuries anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 @yave1964 Betcha Klesla signs with a KHL team for 5 mill a year, maybe more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polaris922 Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 @yave1964 All of that is speculation though. Buffalo traded for the rights to decide if he plays in the NHL or not. It should be up to them, not him. By refusing to report he violated a contract he signed. That makes him a piece of S%#@. International leagues used to have agreements not to use players who violate other leagues' contracts. It's a shame this won't bite him in the arse somehow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radoran Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 @yave1964 All of that is speculation though. Buffalo traded for the rights to decide if he plays in the NHL or not. It should be up to them, not him. By refusing to report he violated a contract he signed. That makes him a piece of S%#@. International leagues used to have agreements not to use players who violate other leagues' contracts. It's a shame this won't bite him in the arse somehow. It's costing him, apparently, $700K and, likely, the rest of a potential career in North America. So, that's two not-insubstantial things. He's essentially refusing the play out the last 20-games on his contract. We don't know what Buffalo said to him ("take a plane to Rochester?") or what he said back. I don't agree with his decision, but the Sabres are stocked with quality Dmen who aren't malcontents and that likely played a role in their decision, if not his. The KHL and the NHL does have a "memorandum of understanding" and Klesla will not be playing in the KHL until his NHL contract is over. Which likely means June 30 if not "when Buffalo's season ends." Just for the record, Kovalchuk quit the league on July 11, 2012. The "memorandum of understanding" was enacted July 15, 2012. They have been discussing a full Player Transfer Agreement for a while... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polaris922 Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 It's costing him, apparently, $700K and, likely, the rest of a potential career in North America. So, that's two not-insubstantial things. He's essentially refusing the play out the last 20-games on his contract. We don't know what Buffalo said to him ("take a plane to Rochester?") or what he said back. I don't agree with his decision, but the Sabres are stocked with quality Dmen who aren't malcontents and that likely played a role in their decision, if not his. The KHL and the NHL does have a "memorandum of understanding" and Klesla will not be playing in the KHL until his NHL contract is over. Which likely means June 30 if not "when Buffalo's season ends." Just for the record, Kovalchuk quit the league on July 11, 2012. The "memorandum of understanding" was enacted July 15, 2012. They have been discussing a full Player Transfer Agreement for a while... I just think a man with integrity lives up to his word. You don't have to like where you're going, but you should at least honor your signing of a contract. I think it should be Buffalo's decision, as they gave up an asset for the right to make that decision. Kovalchuk is another issue entirely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I just think a man with integrity lives up to his word. You don't have to like where you're going, but you should at least honor your signing of a contract. I think it should be Buffalo's decision, as they gave up an asset for the right to make that decision. Kovalchuk is another issue entirely. I agree with you as far as honoring your word, players who try to renegotiate mid contract always irritate me, more football than any other sport. Frankly though from what I read Klesla was strictly a throw in to balance the money out to make Halak fit under the cap for the Capitals, nothing more or less and the Sabres did not have him in their plans this year or next. The Coyotes, Capitals and Sabres all three basically gave up on him this year, Phoenix shipped him to the minors, he came over for Erat to balance that money out before the deal to Buffalo. When you cannot make it on Buffalo and you would be playing out the string by playing in the AHL with Rochester you pretty well know it is over anyway. If anything, because this was not an attempt to extort money from a team but forfeiting the remainder of his contract I can kind of see where rusty is coming from. Again, I see your point, I just see his too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radoran Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I just think a man with integrity lives up to his word. You don't have to like where you're going, but you should at least honor your signing of a contract. I think it should be Buffalo's decision, as they gave up an asset for the right to make that decision. Kovalchuk is another issue entirely. Just brought up Kovalchuk "in context" since it's an obvious potential hole in the "MoU" Again, it cost him $700K to not live up to his contract. I don't think Buffalo's upset that they don't have to pay him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polaris922 Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 @yave1964@radoran Whether Buffalo is upset or not, they should've been brought in on the decision. They should've been the ones to say "Hey Rad... we kinda brought you along out of respect for the situation we were putting the Caps in and we really don't have a spot for you. What would you like to do?".. then after the discussion, a join press release by the two saying Klesla would be released from the team or waived or what have you would save face for the Sabres but allow Klesla to go on abouth is career in europe, russia, somalia... wherever. To me a man's word is a huge reflection on the man. Hence my disgust with St.Louis and now with Klesla. Heck, I don't even like being late for dinner if I say when I'll be there I do my best to get there! lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radoran Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 @yave1964@radoran Whether Buffalo is upset or not, they should've been brought in on the decision. They should've been the ones to say "Hey Rad... we kinda brought you along out of respect for the situation we were putting the Caps in and we really don't have a spot for you. What would you like to do?".. then after the discussion, a join press release by the two saying Klesla would be released from the team or waived or what have you would save face for the Sabres but allow Klesla to go on abouth is career in europe, russia, somalia... wherever. To me a man's word is a huge reflection on the man. Hence my disgust with St.Louis and now with Klesla. Heck, I don't even like being late for dinner if I say when I'll be there I do my best to get there! lol I'm really not disagreeing, but I would say that we don't know what conversations were had between Klesla and Buffalo, or Klesla and Washington, for that matter. Buffalo could easily have said to Klesla, we have no interest in playing you in the NHL this season and you'll be earning your $700K in Rochester - overtly or covertly communicating that they had no interest in the player beyond this season. Clearly Buffalo's not looking to bring in a borderline NHL player at 31 in this position. Klesla then saying "Peace, out" then isn't a surprise to anyone. I haven't seen any indication that anyone even remotely connected to the Sabres is upset in this situation. They essentially got extra picks in the Miller trade (no one seriously considered Halak staying in Buffalo). If there's anything that really needs to be looked at, it just might be the league looking into this creative salary cap patching that was obviously going on in these transactions. It would not surprise me in the least if Phoenix, Washington and Buffalo all knew what was going on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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