The Sabres have signed highly touted Russian winger MAXIM AFINOGENOV to a three year deal. With the Dynamo he tallied 18 goals and 19 assists in 54 games, he also amassed 38 pentaly minutes. Iam not sure of the dollar amount on the deal but he is said to have gotten big money which means the Sabres hope to have him in Buffalo most of the season. But due to his lack of North American experiance it is likely he will see some time in the AHL. So where does he fit in you ask? The Sabres currently have Varada, Satan, Barnes, Ray, as there right wingers. I think we could move Barnes back to his normal position (center) and slide Maxim in on that 3rd line. Holzinger could be the odd man out. It is unrealistic to expect him to be a big time scorer right away but he will most definatley add an offensive spark. He also has a few drawbacks, like he is a puckhog and is small. Puting him on a line with guys like Primeau and/or Rassmussen will give him some room so he can do his thing. In any case, Maxim should give the fans some more exciting offense much like Pavel Bure. Has the potential to be a real superstar. In The Hockey News Yearbook, they ranked Maxim as the top Sabre Prospect saying he will be "Point-a-game first liner within a few years". Sounds good.
