Alex Ovechkin surpassed Wayne Gretzky's NHL goal count. Here are other 'unbreakable' sports records
FILE - This June 24, 2010, file photo shows John Isner of the U.S. and France's Nicolas Mahut, right, posing for a photo next to the scoreboard following their record-breaking men's singles match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, Pool, File)
FILE - San Francisco Giants' Barry Bonds watches the flight of his home run, his 755th, during the second inning of a baseball game game against the San Diego Padres in San Diego, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2007. (AP Photo/ Kevork Djansezian, File)
FILE - In this March 2, 1962 file photo, Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors holds a sign reading "100" in the dressing room in Hershey, Pa., after he scored 100 points, as the Warriors defeated the New York Knickerbockers 169-147. (AP Photo/Paul Vathis, File)
FILE - New York Yankees' Joe DiMaggio singles to center in the first inning of the nightcap of a doubleheader with the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on July 2, 1941. The hit ran his consecutive hitting streak to 44 games, equaling the record set in 1897 by Willie Keeler. The Boston catcher is Johnny Peacock with Joe Rue umpiring. (AP Photo/File)
FILE - United States' Michael Phelps poses with his gold medal for the men's 4x200-meter freestyle relay swimming final at the Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Tuesday, July 31, 2012. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
FILE - Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus, chat during a "Champions roudd" as preparations continue for the British Open golf championship on the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland, Monday July 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison, File)
FILE - Florence Griffith Joyner of Los Angeles, Calif., waves to spectators as she holds aloft a U.S.A No. 1 sign following her world record performance in the finals of the women's 200 meters race, Thursday, Sept. 29, 1988, Seoul, Korea. (AP Photo/Lennox McLendon, File)
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) is greeted by Wayne Gretzky during a ceremony after he scored his 895th career goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against New York Islanders in Elmont, N.Y., Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
FILE - Los Angeles Kings; Wayne Gretzky (99) and teammate Luc Robitaille, on ice, celebrate Gretzky's scoring his NHL career record-setting goal No. 802 against Vancouver Canucks goalie Kirk McLean during the second period of an NHL hockey game at the Forum at Inglewood, Calif., March 23, 1994. (AP Photo/Eric Draper/File)
FILE - Los Angeles Kings; Wayne Gretzky (99) and teammate Luc Robitaille, on ice, celebrate Gretzky's scoring his NHL career record-setting goal No. 802 against Vancouver Canucks goalie Kirk McLean during the second period of an NHL hockey game at the Forum at Inglewood, Calif., March 23, 1994. (AP Photo/Eric Draper/File)
FILE - This June 24, 2010, file photo shows John Isner of the U.S. and France's Nicolas Mahut, right, posing for a photo next to the scoreboard following their record-breaking men's singles match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, Pool, File)
FILE - San Francisco Giants' Barry Bonds watches the flight of his home run, his 755th, during the second inning of a baseball game game against the San Diego Padres in San Diego, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2007. (AP Photo/ Kevork Djansezian, File)
FILE - In this March 2, 1962 file photo, Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors holds a sign reading "100" in the dressing room in Hershey, Pa., after he scored 100 points, as the Warriors defeated the New York Knickerbockers 169-147. (AP Photo/Paul Vathis, File)
FILE - New York Yankees' Joe DiMaggio singles to center in the first inning of the nightcap of a doubleheader with the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on July 2, 1941. The hit ran his consecutive hitting streak to 44 games, equaling the record set in 1897 by Willie Keeler. The Boston catcher is Johnny Peacock with Joe Rue umpiring. (AP Photo/File)
FILE - United States' Michael Phelps poses with his gold medal for the men's 4x200-meter freestyle relay swimming final at the Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Tuesday, July 31, 2012. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
FILE - Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus, chat during a "Champions roudd" as preparations continue for the British Open golf championship on the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland, Monday July 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison, File)
FILE - Florence Griffith Joyner of Los Angeles, Calif., waves to spectators as she holds aloft a U.S.A No. 1 sign following her world record performance in the finals of the women's 200 meters race, Thursday, Sept. 29, 1988, Seoul, Korea. (AP Photo/Lennox McLendon, File)
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) is greeted by Wayne Gretzky during a ceremony after he scored his 895th career goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against New York Islanders in Elmont, N.Y., Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
FILE - Los Angeles Kings; Wayne Gretzky (99) and teammate Luc Robitaille, on ice, celebrate Gretzky's scoring his NHL career record-setting goal No. 802 against Vancouver Canucks goalie Kirk McLean during the second period of an NHL hockey game at the Forum at Inglewood, Calif., March 23, 1994. (AP Photo/Eric Draper/File)
Long before Alex Ovechkin surpassed Wayne Gretzky for the NHL goal-scoring record with No. 895 on Sunday, Gretzky moved into the top spot ahead of Gordie Howe by putting the puck in the net for the Los Angeles Kings on March 23, 1994.
During the Kings' regional sports network broadcast that day, an announcer breathlessly declared: 'A historic moments in sports, compared with Henry Aaron passing Babe Ruth in home runs, with Pete Rose passing Ty Cobb in hits. Great moments when people thought records would never be broken. Mike Powell passing Bob Beamon's long jump record of 29 feet, 2 1/2 inches. And Wayne Gretzky, indeed, has records that may never be broken. Perhaps this one.'
Advertisement
Gretzky got his 802nd in that game and ended up with 894 when he retired in 1999.
Turns out, Ovechkin did get there, scoring from his 'office' in the left faceoff circle on a power play for the Washington Capitals — the only team the 39-year-old Russian winger has played for since making his NHL debut in 2005 — during the second period of a game against the New York Islanders.
'They say records are made to be broken,' Gretzky said during an on-ice ceremony after Ovechkin moved ahead of him Sunday, 'but I'm not sure who's going to get more goals than that.'
Perhaps Ovechkin's final total will prove unsurpassable, even if Gretzky's didn't. Here is a by-the-numbers look at some supposedly unbreakable records that do still stand:
Advertisement
10.49
Florence Griffith-Joyner has held the fastest time in the women's 100-meter dash since a breezy day at the 1988 U.S. Olympic Trials, and only one other athlete has even gone faster than 10.6. Griffith-Joyner also holds the 200 record, established at the Seoul Olympics that year, and debates over the legitimacy of those two standards continue decades later.
18
There was plenty of talk that Tiger Woods was going to overtake Jack Nicklaus for the most major championships in men's golf, but that was before a series of injuries interrupted Woods' career. He recently had surgery for a ruptured Achilles tendon and will miss the upcoming Masters. Woods won his most recent major in 2019, ending an 11-year drought and raising his count to 15; Nicklaus retired with 18. No other active player has more than six.
Advertisement
23
Michael Phelps' dominance of the pool left the American swimmer with the most Olympic gold medals from any sport — and no one else has more than nine as of now. Phelps, who retired after the 2016 Rio Olympics, also owns more total medals than any other athlete, 28.
56
Joe DiMaggio's streak of consecutive Major League Baseball games with at least one hit has stood since 1941, and the closest anyone has come since then was Rose's 44-game run in 1978. Another number that might not be surpassed: Rose's 4,256 career hits. Baseball is a sport filled with numbers and, therefore, records, and another one widely deemed unapproachable is Cal Ripken's 2,632 games in a row, more than 500 above Lou Gehrig's previous high. The longest current active streak is below 500.
Advertisement
100
Wilt Chamberlain's single-game NBA scoring record was set on March 2, 1962, and while he said a quarter-century later, 'I think it can be broken,' the closest anyone has come was Kobe Bryant's 81 in 2006.
511
Cy Young's career pitching wins are nearly 100 more than anyone else in MLB history and came long before the current era of limiting innings and protecting arms (his last season was 1911). There are some who think there might never be another player to get to 300 wins. The sport's active leader is Justin Verlander, who entered this year with 262 at age 42.
762
Barry Bonds hit more career home runs than anyone else in MLB, bettering Aaron's total of 755 before retiring in 2007. Bonds admitted taking performance-enhancing drugs, although he said he didn't do so knowingly. Also still around: Bonds' season record of 73 homers in 2001.
Advertisement
70-68
Consider this record one that simply can't be broken because the rules changed: John Isner's victory over Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon in 2010 is the longest match in tennis history, lasting 11 hours, 5 minutes until finishing at 70-68 in the fifth set. In 2022, all four Grand Slam tournaments adopted tiebreakers at 6-6 in the fifth set of men's matches and third set of women's to prevent never-ending marathons.
___
Howard Fendrich is an AP national writer. Find his stories here: https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich. More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
39 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Carlos Alcaraz loves playing on grass and is trying to win a third Wimbledon title in a row
LONDON (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz's first match on a grass court came just six years ago. He's obviously a quick study. When Wimbledon gets started Monday, the 22-year-old from Spain will play in the first Centre Court match of this fortnight, an honor reserved for the previous year's men's champion . The contest against Fabio Fognini will open Alcaraz's a bid for a third consecutive championship at the place. That's something only four men have achieved in the Open era, which began in 1968: Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic . Not bad company. Alcaraz already is 5-0 in Grand Slam finals, which includes going 2-0 at the French Open — which he won three weeks ago via a comeback from two sets down against No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the final — and 1-0 at the U.S. Open. Last year, the No. 2-ranked Alcaraz became the youngest man to win a major trophy on each surface: grass, clay and hard courts. But he's got a fondness for the green stuff. 'The most beautiful tennis that we can watch is on grass. The style that the people bring to the court when they play on grass. ... The sound of the ball,' said Alcaraz, who will go into Monday on a career-best 18-match winning streak, including a title at the Queen's Club tournament last weekend. 'The movement is really tough, but when you get it, it's kind of (as though) you're flying.' He loves that it allows him to show off the variety in his game and all of the skills he possesses. Few players smile as much as Alcaraz does while in the thick of things, no matter what challenges might be presented by the foe across the net or the tension of the moment. He is as creative as it gets with a racket in hand, sometimes to his own detriment, and admits enjoying seeing replays on arena video screens after some of his best deliveries (that technology isn't used at the All England Club, but perhaps it should be). 'I really want to hit slices, drop shots, going to the net all the time, playing aggressively,' said Alcaraz, who said he lost to two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray during a round of golf early in the week. 'I think on grass it's the style that you have to play, so that's what I like the most.' It's instructive to hear what Djokovic had to say about Alcaraz after a straight-set loss in last year's final at the All England Club. 'He just was better than me in every aspect of the game,' Djokovic said. 'In movement, in the way he was just striking the ball beautifully, serving great. Everything.' Those words carry weight. Djokovic has won seven of his men's-record 24 Grand Slam trophies at Wimbledon but was the runner-up to Alcaraz in 2023 and 2024. When it comes to the idea of joining an elite group by completing a three-peat in two weeks' time, Alcaraz insisted that isn't the sort of thing he really cares about or spends time considering. He wants the title, yes. But where it would place him in history? Leave that to others. 'I really want to lift the trophy,' Alcaraz said. 'But right now, I'm not thinking about who I could join if I win three Wimbledons in a row.' ___ Howard Fendrich has been the AP's tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: . More AP tennis:
New York Times
41 minutes ago
- New York Times
Why acquiring Jordan Spence could be a window into how Senators will run their offseason
OTTAWA — Jordan Spence knew something had to give when his ice time dwindled from an average of nearly 17 minutes per game in the regular season to between six and 11 minutes during the playoffs. He wanted a bigger role on the Los Angeles Kings, a team he had adored since childhood. He became a Kings fan watching Drew Doughty turn into one of the league's best defencemen, and he got his chance when he was drafted by them in 2019. But with Brandt Clarke, another young right-shot defenceman, in their system, a hurdle was in Spence's way. Advertisement 'When you're playing at a high level, you want to be relied on and trusted in any situation,' Spence said in a conference call on Saturday after his trade to the Senators. 'And, for me, I think I'm ready to take a big step. I'm ready to take a bigger role. It was unfortunate that L.A. couldn't give me that opportunity.' Spence wanted a change of scenery, a new market that would allow him to play more with increased responsibility. Senators general manager Steve Staios spotted an opportunity. And that it wouldn't cost too much to obtain him. It could be a glimpse into how the Senators might operate throughout the summer, unless something dramatic comes their way. The Senators came away from this weekend's draft with six players. But their biggest move was landing Spence in exchange for a third-round pick (acquired from Nashville after Ottawa traded down from No. 21 to No. 23) and a sixth-round pick in next year's draft (which initially belonged to Colorado). Moving down two spots in the first round allowed the Senators to acquire a 24-year-old who was the third-highest-scoring defenceman on his team behind Clarke and Vladislav Gavrikov, with four goals and 28 points. Even after accounting for usage (extremely soft), model is still enamoured by Jordan Spence. At best, he makes a jump to the top four. At worst, he keeps crushing easy minutes — something Ottawa does desperately need. Good bet by the Sens. — dom 📈 (@domluszczyszyn) June 28, 2025 'Every chance at the draft, free agency, you look at opportunities to try and make your team better,' Staios said. 'Sometimes it doesn't land. As the draft went on, we really liked the player that kind of was sliding to our pick (at No. 21). … I felt, at that point in time, if we were going to trade back in consulting with (head scout) Don Boyd and scouts, that we could gain an asset. Advertisement 'Knowing what it would take to be able to get him, to acquire him, it lined up with the acquisition return that we got from trading back. So, we were able to parlay that into a phone conversation with L.A. and be able to acquire Jordan Spence.' Acquiring Spence is far from a blockbuster, especially considering the other trades made this weekend. It wasn't even the biggest trade made on Day 2. The Red Wings' acquisition of John Gibson from Anaheim holds that distinction, but only because the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vegas Golden Knights didn't complete a trade involving Mitch Marner on Saturday. But the Spence trade indicates how the Sens could operate this offseason, with subtle tweaks to the roster without sacrificing much of their core. Staios said Saturday that it would likely be his modus operandi for the free-agent market once it opens up on July 1. That means if Staios wants to take it a step further, it will have to be via trade. Staios said 'yes' when asked if he'd be open to making another trade, but cautioned that it's not something he's actively looking to do. But Staios has shown he's unafraid of making a move if the opportunity presents itself, and when it seems like no one expects him to do anything of significance, despite limits on salary-cap space or assets at his disposal. 'I don't, honestly, think I could have said to you a week ago that we'd had an opportunity to acquire Jordan Spence at the draft,' Staios said. 'Once they come up, you've got to be prepared, and again, have the flexibility to be able to take advantage of a situation where you can add something to the group.' Ottawa's $9.25 million cap space available, per PuckPedia, limits them on the free agent market when it comes to luring a big fish. Not to mention, the Senators want to retain as much cap flexibility as possible. Yes, they could move some salary off the active roster, such as Carter Yakemchuk's entry-level deal. But the Sens still intend to sign pending free agent Claude Giroux. Advertisement Staios said Saturday, when asked for an update, that he was 'hoping to hear back' from Giroux and his camp. Despite whatever gap may remain between the Sens and Giroux's camp, both sides want to get a deal done. So while some despair may linger over Giroux's future, that could change quickly. In Spence, Ottawa has a depth defenceman and right-shot who can take up minutes if Nick Jensen needs more time to recuperate from his hip injury. Natural Stat Trick says Spence has good underlying metrics, posting a 56.80 Corsi For and a 48.8 expected goals for percentage when he's on the ice at five-on-five. Slotting Spence alongside Jake Sanderson on a top pairing would be a fascinating way to ease him into the lineup. And if Jensen is ready to play, and the Sens don't want to split up Sanderson and Artem Zub, Spence could provide more mobility and scoring alongside Tyler Kleven. On top of all that, Spence could be an alternate option for their power play, which already has Sanderson and Thomas Chabot as quarterbacks. The Senators needed another defensive option and could've sought a cost-effective option on the free-agent market. Instead, they get that in Spence, who carries a $1.5 million cap hit through 2026. On a team that could use more mobility and offence from its back end, Spence's skillset improves their defensive group. 'Maybe I could have a better opportunity in Ottawa and have a bigger role,' Spence said. 'Obviously, it all depends on my performance. But I'm going to have a big summer. And I'm excited to go to Ottawa this year and to have a good season.' Ottawa's offence, however, could still use another younger weapon up front despite the re-signing of Fabian Zetterlund this month. The Senators' struggles in five-on-five scoring are well-documented. A goal-scoring winger who could either play to the right of Tim Stützle or the left of Dylan Cozens would bolster Ottawa's forward group. It would allow older players such as David Perron to slide down the lineup — and potentially Giroux, if it came to that. Scoring wingers are available on the trade market, if Chris Johnston's board is any indication. Jason Robertson, Viktor Arvidsson, and Jared McCann are among the handful of players potentially available. That leaves the fourth line — with no guarantees that Adam Gaudette, Nick Cousins or Matthew Highmore will be back — to be plugged with either depth signings or young players from Belleville to take their spots. 'Depending on how things unfold and the conversations that we have,' Staios said. 'Any opportunity we have to improve our team, that's my job to seek those out and make sure that I have all the information.' That approach allowed Staios to acquire an asset such as Spence at this year's draft. It could serve him well as the Senators enter July, regardless of how much cap space is at their disposal. (Photo of Jordan Spence: Harry How / Getty Images)
New York Times
41 minutes ago
- New York Times
Sabres post-draft thoughts: Conor Timmins trade, the latest on Bowen Byram and more
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The 2025 NHL Draft will likely end up as a footnote in this Buffalo Sabres offseason. This summer is one in which general manager Kevyn Adams and coach Lindy Ruff are feeling legitimate pressure entering the final season of their contracts. The playoff drought continues to weigh on this team, and the fan base is restless. So while the Sabres added some interesting prospects this weekend, this offseason is all about the NHL roster. Advertisement This week was highlighted by Adams trading JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth in exchange for defenseman Micahel Kesselring and winger Josh Doan. That was a massive trade that will end up defining Buffalo's season and Adams' tenure in some ways. Adams continued to tinker with the roster this weekend, trading Connor Clifton and a second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins for defenseman Conor Timmins and a prospect. But what stands out coming out of this weekend is just how much is left to get done. The Sabres have six restricted free agents, including the newly acquired Timmins. Bowen Byram's situation is still unsettled. And the Sabres have roughly $20 million in salary cap space. This offseason is far from over, with free agency opening on Tuesday and trade discussions still ongoing around the league. The Sabres got some of their biggest business done by trading Peterka, but there are still so many directions this offseason can go. Will they add another forward to the top six? Will they spend to the cap ceiling for the first time under Adams? And is another trade coming? At the beginning of the weekend, Adams insisted he had a plan. That plan is still incomplete. But here's what we learned during a busy draft weekend. We'll start with the Sabres' newest draft class: Round 1, pick 9: Radim Mrtka, RHD, Seattle (WHL), 6-foot-6, 218 pounds Round 3, Pick 71: David Bedkowski, RHD, Owen Sound (OHL) 6-5, 221 Round 4, Pick 103: Matous Kucharcik, C, Slavia Jr. (Czech Jr.), 6-4, 180 Round 4, Pick 116: Samuel Meloche, G, Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL), 6-2, 190 Round 5, Pick 135: Noah Laberge, LHD, Acadie Bathurst (QMJHL), 6-0, 187 Round 6, Pick 167: Ashton Schultz, C, Chicago (USHL), 5-11, 180 Round 7, Pick 195: Melvin Novotny, F, Leksands IF (Sweden Jr.), 6-1, 185 Round 7, Pick 199: Yevgeni Prokhorov, G, Dinamo-Shinnik Bobruysk (MHL), 6-3, 183 Round 7, Pick 219: Ryan Racunski, F, Youngstown (USHL), 5-10, 176 Advertisement This draft class is going to come down to how the top two picks pan out. Radim Mrtka has a path to a top-four role, but it could take some runway for him to get there. Sabres assistant general manager Jerry Forton noted that Mrtka has some awkward moments skating since he's still growing into his body. But the Sabres saw dramatic improvement in his game throughout the season and are excited to see what he will do in his second season in North America. Buffalo's second pick, David Bedkowski, represents all of the qualities the Sabres have been talking about in recent weeks. He's a 6-5 right-handed defenseman with a major mean streak. He might be the most physical player in this draft class. But what was also clear in speaking with him after he got drafted is how mature Bedkowski is. The Sabres' pick of Bedkowski was announced by Greg Manzi, a local youth hockey player who suffered a devastating injury last season. Bedkowski mentioned how special that was when he briefly chatted with the Sabres' brass after the pick. Elite Prospects on Sabres' 3rd round pick David Bedkowski: 'Arguably the most violent player in the class, with the mobility, reach, defensive traits, and bloodlust to develop into a tremendous play killer.' They had him ranked 47th, he went 71st. — The Charging Buffalo (@TheChargingBUF) June 28, 2025 As for his game, Bedkowski, who fought five times last season, said, 'I'm a heart and soul guy, loyal to the soil. Just compete is the name of the game to me. Sacrificing, blocking shots, whatever it takes.' It's easy to envision playing in the NHL, even if his upside isn't that of Mrtka or other top defensemen in this class. He's also a player Sabres fans will have an easy time rooting for. I like that the Sabres took a couple of chances on goalies late in the draft. Late-round picks don't often turn into NHL players, but goalies have a better chance and can be valuable commodities if you hit on one. The Sabres are stocked with young goalies. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is still early in his NHL career. Devon Levi hasn't yet become a full-time NHL player. And recent draft picks Scott Ratzlaff and Topias Leiononen both got entry-level contracts. Advertisement Now, Buffalo can add fourth-round pick Samuel Meloche and seventh-round pick Yevgeni Prokhorov to the mix. Meloche had an excellent rookie season in the QMJHL, shouldering a big workload and carrying his team deep into the playoffs with a 2.01 goals against average in 13 playoff games. Prokhorov, a native of Belarus who played in the MHL last season, might be coming to North America to play junior hockey next season, according to Forton. He also finished his season strong with a 1.95 goals against average and a .943 save percentage in six playoff games. Timmins got the call that he'd been traded to the Sabres while he was at his parents' cottage, which is just across the lake from KeyBank Center. Born in St. Catharines, Ontario, he grew up going to Sabres games and was excited by the prospect of playing for Buffalo. Adams said he views Timmins, 26, as a third-pair defenseman right now. The Sabres acquired Timmins and prospect Isaac Belliveau from the Penguins for Connor Clifton and the No. 39 overall pick in the draft. Timmins is a restricted free agent, so it remains to be seen how much the Sabres will save on Clifton's $3.33 million cap hit. Theoretically, Timmins shouldn't cost as much and should be an upgrade. He can also kill penalties. A second-round pick was a decent price to pay for this swap, but the Sabres don't have a dire need for more draft picks. Now let's see what they do with the small amount of cap flexibility from this deal. There is a clear difference between the way Adams has been speaking about defenseman Byram and the way he spoke about Peterka before he got traded. Adams was visibly annoyed by the Peterka line of questioning, likely stemming from his frustration with the player. With Byram, Adams has been honest but also somewhat even-keeled. He gets that Byram has two years before he hits unrestricted free agency and wants some clarity on what his role will look like and what the team will look like. 'What he knows is we like him, we believe in him, we think it makes the team better with him on,' Adams said. 'But if there's a trade to make that makes sense and we think it's the right thing to do, we'll do it.' The key piece here is that Adams trusts that if Byram sticks around, he'll be the same positive presence in the locker room he's always been. I'm not sure the Sabres felt the same way about Peterka. 'What I know about Bo Byram is if he's back, whether it's a one-year deal or two-year deal or eight-year deal, he's going to be all in and try to help us win. That's what I truly appreciate about Bo. We'll get to the right solution. It has to work for both sides. He understands how we feel about him, and he knows we're willing to do whatever we need to do to help our team get better. We've been very transparent both ways.' Advertisement Adams said he would be re-engaging with Byram's agent, Darren Ferris, on contract talks. He was also interrupted during his post-draft press conference by a call from another general manager, a reminder that one call can change the situation in a hurry. As it stands, Byram playing with Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power playing with Michael Kesselring and Mattias Samuelsson playing with Timmins could be a solid depth chart on defense. (Top photo of Conor Timmins: Talia Sprague / Imagn Images)
