What happens when Robin Lehner comes back?

[PromoTheRobot]

So far Linus Ullmark and Chad Johnson are playing well enough for the Sabres to win 6 of their last 8. If this continues, is Robin Lehner automatically back to being the starter when he returns?  If Ullmark keeps playing as well as he has, it will be hard to do that. But it will also make the trade of a 1st round pick for Lehner seem like a waste.

[dudacek]

Lehner, despite being 48 pounds overweight and sporting fresh tattoos of Milan Lucic on each cheek will start 11 straight games, where the Sabres go 1-9-1 despite scoring 47 goals.

 

Johnson will change his name to Jose Treintaytres and defect to the KHL.

 

Ullmark will be traded to the Penguins for the rights to Michel Plasse and Jack Eichel will dress as the backup

[qwksndmonster]

/thread

[Doohicksie]

Lehner, despite being 48 pounds overweight and sporting fresh tattoos of Milan Lucic on each cheek will start 11 straight games, where the Sabres go 1-9-1 despite scoring 47 goals.

 

Johnson will change his name to Jose Treintaytres and defect to the KHL.

 

Ullmark will be traded to the Penguins for the rights to Michel Plasse and Jack Eichel will dress as the backup

 

My answer is so much more mundane.  Can I have some of what you're smoking?

 

 

 

Two likely scenarios:

More likely:  Ullmark to Rochester, goaltending split by Lehner and Johnson.

Less likely:  Johnson to Rochester via waivers, goaltending split by Lehner and Ullmark.

 

Either one of those will probably be preceded by a reconditioning stint in Rochester for Lehner.

My gut feel is that no matter what they do, Ullmark is The One for the future.

[TrueBlueGED]

Really hard to say without knowing how Ullmark plays between now and then. It's perfectly possible that he falls off from his current play.

[nfreeman]

Well dudacek's feeling a bit giddy, innit?

 

Good thread, PTR.

 

I'll guess that regardless of how well Ullmark is playing, Lehner will get a few starts (not consecutive though if Ullmark is playing well), and if Lehner looks really good and Ullmark looks good but not Carey Price-ish, Lehner will get the #1 role and Ullmark will go down to Rochester.

[Brawndo]

After starting the season with goaltending with a sub .900 save percentage, it's a nice problem to have. Murray said in an interview with GR last week that Lehner is a number one goalie, so I believe that Lehner gets a 14 day conditioning assignment with Rochester and depending on how that goes gets Ullmark's Spot with Ullmark getting returned to Rochester.

 

That being said, there is NFW I would do that if he continues to play the way he is.

 

As far as giving up the first for him, at the time the trade was made the Sabres Goaltending Depth was a great unknown. Ullmark was the best of the bunch, but coming off double hip surgery they had no way of knowing that he would bounce back that fast or even if he would be able to play at all. Besides I pretend the first was for ROR and 31 was for Lehner.

[WildCard]

Lehner, despite being 48 pounds overweight and sporting fresh tattoos of Milan Lucic on each cheek will start 11 straight games, where the Sabres go 1-9-1 despite scoring 47 goals.

 

Johnson will change his name to Jose Treintaytres and defect to the KHL.

 

Ullmark will be traded to the Penguins for the rights to Michel Plasse and Jack Eichel will dress as the backup

Well done.

 

Reminds me of qwk's unfinished hypothetical Sabres Cup run. I'm still awaiting that ending

Edited November 13, 2015 by WildCard

[Stoner]

He joins PBS Newshour.

[qwksndmonster]

Well done.

 

Reminds me of qwk's unfinished hypothetical Sabres Cup run. I'm still waiting that ending

Babdick is vaporized and Ennis wakes up, having passed out in the penalty box again. Those playoff series were all part of his BEAUTIFUL MIND.

[Norcal]

Ullmark goes to Rochester and assumes #1 there while Lehner is given the Buffalo net as their #1. If Johnson is still playing ok he will get a few more games than a normal backup would

[WildCard]

Babdick is vaporized and Ennis wakes up, having passed out in the penalty box again. Those playoff series were all part of his BEAUTIFUL MIND.

Son of a bitch, qwk.

[X. Benedict]

Ullmark goes to Rochester and assumes #1 there while Lehner is given the Buffalo net as their #1. If Johnson is still playing ok he will get a few more games than a normal backup would

Waive Johnson. He'll clear.

[2 minuter för grovbearbetn]

 

I was prepared to wait on Lehner to play himself into top form as the team learned to play together. I figured that by Christmas the team would start to gel and be difficult to play against. There would be more losses than wins as Lehner knocks off the rust from months of inactivity. The growth would be slow and steady.  

 

But as it stands now, the team is gelling much faster than I would have guessed. The problem becomes do we - as in fans - have the patience to allow Lehner to do this now? We have had a taste of some pretty good hockey, and some better than expected goaltending. Realistically, when he comes back, there's going to be some nights of bad play on his part. That's going to be understandable, but frustrating. 

 

It will be a good problem to have if Ullmark plays very well and we continue to be a borderline playoff team.  

[pi2000]

Ullmark is playing well, but he's too scrambly and floppy.    That's just part of being a young goaltender, he needs to be playing a ton and he can do that in Roch while he fine tunes his game.    It's just a matter of time before he lays an egg at the NHL level and you don't need to crush his confidence while he's young.    

[wjag]

Ullmark is playing well, but he's too scrambly and floppy.    That's just part of being a young goaltender, he needs to be playing a ton and he can do that in Roch while he fine tunes his game.    It's just a matter of time before he lays an egg at the NHL level and you don't need to crush his confidence while he's young.    

 

 

Or he could be the next Cam Ward...  If Lehner comes back, Johnson would appear to be heading for Ra Cha Cha,

[Mustache of God]

It's a simple answer. Ullmark goes back to Rochester where he starts almost every game. Johnson is the backup here.

[wjag]

It's a simple answer. Ullmark goes back to Rochester where he starts almost every game. Johnson is the backup here.

 

 

I think Ullmark starting in Florida last night was a clear tell that he has supplanted Johnson.

[Brawndo]

I think Ullmark starting in Florida last night was a clear tell that he has supplanted Johnson.

True, but he needs to gain experience by playing in games, if not here then in Rochester

[woods-racer]

Waive Johnson. He'll clear.

 

Just don't go around waving Johnson into the wind.

[WildCard]

Woods is killing it lately :D

[Wyldnwoody44]

If Ullmark plays the same as he has been, then I don't care what lehner and his weak ankles bring.... I wanna see Ullmark as the starter here.

[Doohicksie]

I think Ullmark starting in Florida last night was a clear tell that he has supplanted Johnson.

Ullmark is the future. Johnson is the backup. Ultimately what's important to Ullmark's development takes precedence.

[Doohicksie]

At the moment though, all we have is the Concept of Lehner™.

[Taro T]

At the moment though, all we have is the Concept of Lehner™.

And the cost of getting him is a sunk cost. It should not figure into what happens when he comes back. After he's had his conditioning assignment, if Ullmark is still better than Chad, send Chad down and play whichever Swede will win you a game. Unfortunately for Robin, he MIGHT have injured himself out of another starting role.

 

Competition is good. If he wants the job back, earn it when healthy. If he gets it back that way - awesome. The Sabres GT will have gone from league's biggest Q to top 10 at worst.