How Good Is Linus Ullmark?

[bob_sauve28]

 

 

Is he the long term answer for us in goal? Or is he a career backup or perhaps at best a 50-50 split guy? 

Obviously he has been the best on this team, but that's not saying much. Personally I think he makes us open for just signing a solid backup, maybe a 30-35 games guy to cement our position. I feel he can not only be the man, but will hopefully get even better. We shouldn't have to break the bank (cap) to solidify this important position, but...I'd also make it a priority to sign some sort of third string goalie for Rochester 

[#freejame]

I think Linus has a ceiling of Marty Biron but he isn’t there yet. Ideally he would top out around 35 games per season with a #1 carrying the bulk of the work. As the NHL moves more towards time management, especially with goaltenders, having a backup who can keep you competitive for 35 games will be huge. Gone are the days of 60 starts, especially for sure fire playoff goalies. 

[LGR4GM]

I think he can be a starting goaltender. His 5v5 save percentage is very good. If this team had a real PK he would be a good looking goalie. 

[Zamboni]

Agree about his ceiling probably being Biron neighborhood. 

[Ogre]

There's a good reason why he was an AHL all star. He did have a rough start after the hip surgery. He often looked disinterested at times out there but boy did he ever shut me up his remaining time in Rochester, well, except when I was cheering my balls off.

[Palm Trees And Taxes]

Linus can be a solid #1 goalie in the NHL for years to come, not elite like say a Tukka Rask, but can develop to an above average goalie, coupled with a good offense, can be very successful and win a lot of games

[nfreeman]

I can see him improving, but right now I'd say he's a legit lower-middle-class NHL starter -- i.e. better than Marty (who wasn't really an NHL starter) but not as good as what the Sabres really need, which is a top-10 NHL starter.

[Randall Flagg]

I like him and he's still getting better. I worry that he's a little bit sheltered because our defense tends to keep shots to the outside. His high danger save percentage is 46th among goalies to play 1000 minutes this year. I worry that he'd be Hutton-esque on a more porous defensive team

[jsb]

25 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I think he can be a starting goaltender. His 5v5 save percentage is very good. If this team had a real PK he would be a good looking goalie. 

Actually I think their PK would be a lot better with better goaltenders

[Randall Flagg]

Just now, jsb said:

Actually I think their PK would be a lot better with better goaltenders

I think this is where his dubious handling of good chances starts to peek through. 

[dudacek]

His focus and attitude have been excellent, but what can't be forgotten is the degree of improvement Linus has shown this year in terms of staying in control of his body. Mike Bales probably deserves some credit there. I think he has reached Marty's level.

I'm not sure if this is his ceiling. He's 26, but modern goalies have been trending to still show upside after that.

Edited March 11, 2020 by dudacek

[Eleven]

36 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

I can see him improving, but right now I'd say he's a legit lower-middle-class NHL starter -- i.e. better than Marty (who wasn't really an NHL starter) but not as good as what the Sabres really need, which is a top-10 NHL starter.

I don't think he's any better than Biron, but I also saw Biron as how you describe Ullmark:  a lower-middle-class starter.

[dudacek]

If you had to rank this year's most improved Sabres, is Linus at the top of the list?

I'd probably put him behind Jack, but he's likely the next one in line. Risto, Okie, and Zemgus are maybe the others in that conversation?

[darksabre]

Just now, dudacek said:

If you had to rank this year's most improved Sabres, is Linus at the top of the list?

I'd probably put him behind Jack, but he's likely the next one in line. Risto, Okie, and Zemgus are maybe the others in that conversation?

I think for those guys they're simply playing at the level we expect them to.

Improvement is reserved for guys showing us something we haven't seen from them before. And Ullmark is definitely most improved. It's a good sign that there was room for him to do it, and then he did it. Hopefully he's got more room left.

[GASabresIUFAN]

I think his better then Lehner has ever been and I see no reason he can’t be as good as Markstrom or Andersen

Markstrom at 26 was a 1b with a 2.73 and .915 in 32 games.  Those numbers have been relatively consistent since then.  Now at 30 he is 2.75 w a .918
Andersen exploded at 26 behind a good D in Ana with a 2.30 and .919.  Now at 30 in Toronto behind a porous D he has a 2.85 w a .909

Ullmark, at 26, is a very solid 2.69 w a .915 behind an improved D group.  

I do think skill wise Andersen is the best of the 3, but Ullmark is very comparable to Markstrom
 

[msw2112]

This is more of an indirect comment than a full evaluation of Ullmark, but the team slumped badly while he was out injured.  He came back and started 1 game (which I did not see) and they beat a top team 3-2 in a shootout.  I can't imagine they get that win with Hutton or Johansson in goal.

[Mustache of God]

Last year was essentially his rookie year (even though his stats show he played 20 games in the 15-16 season??? i have zero recollection of that, but, to be fair i think we've all tried to block that out) and I always thought people were being a bit hard on Linus, forgetting that he was indeed a rookie (since he's been a part of the organization for years now).

Looks like in 37 games last year he had a .905% and 3.11 GAA

This year, in 34 games he's posting a .911% and 2.69 GAA, so he appears to be trending upwards and the eye test tells me he's more in control and collected in the crease. I'm expecting him to continue to improve. How much? Who knows, goalies are ***** weirdos. 

If I'm Botts, I'm brining in a 3rd goalie to camp, someone who used to be a bona-fide starter but is not moving into a back-up role at this stage in his career (think Ryan Miller in Anaheim) to provide some competition. We then waive Hutton and send him to Rochester. Then, when an injury inevitibly strikes you can call up Hutton so you have a better option than Jonas Johannson. Not ideal to be burning that kind of money on a goalie in Rochester, but that's what happens when you sign a career back-up to a 3 year contract...another big whiff for JBOTT. 

In summation, to answer your question of "how good is linus ullmark?" , I'd say he hasn't reached his full potential and we'll see him get better.

[StuckinFL]

I think he's going to be a good solid #1 goaltender the rest of this year and next but not elite. He can steal you a few games here and there but he can't carry the team squarely on his shoulders every game. But since he's solid, he frees up the rest of the team to be much more aggressive and creative. He shouldn't be replaced by anyone less than elite because you can tell that the team trusts and loves the guy. But for the love of God we need to get him a solid backup because Hutton has been HORRENDOUS. 

[Weave]

My impression is that he is already at Marty Biron level.  The question is, can he improve on that?

 

And did anyone else think that was a picture of Jonas Enroth at the top of the thread?  Or was it just my initial thought?

[dudacek]

58 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I think his better then Lehner has ever been and I see no reason he can’t be as good as Markstrom or Andersen

Markstrom at 26 was a 1b with a 2.73 and .915 in 32 games.  Those numbers have been relatively consistent since then.  Now at 30 he is 2.75 w a .918
Andersen exploded at 26 behind a good D in Ana with a 2.30 and .919.  Now at 30 in Toronto behind a porous D he has a 2.85 w a .909

Ullmark, at 26, is a very solid 2.69 w a .915 behind an improved D group.  

I do think skill wise Andersen is the best of the 3, but Ullmark is very comparable to Markstrom
 

I really don't think you've watched Markstrom this season. He's been head and shoulders above Linus and should be in the Vezina conversation.

Numbers don't tell the whole story, as I'm sure you'd agree with after Lehner posted SP of .924, .920, .930 and .918 in four of his past 5 years, numbers Ullmark has yet to reach.

You are correct though about what Markstrom was when he was Ullmark's age, and we can all hope Linus shows similar growth.

Edited March 11, 2020 by dudacek

[jsb]

58 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Markstrom at 26 was a 1b with a 2.73 and .915 in 32 games.  Those numbers have been relatively consistent since then.  Now at 30 he is 2.75 w a .918
Andersen exploded at 26 behind a good D in Ana with a 2.30 and .919.  Now at 30 in Toronto behind a porous D he has a 2.85 w a .909

I do think skill wise Andersen is the best of the 3, but Ullmark is very comparable to Markstrom
 

I disagree with you I've watched more Vancouver games than I care to admit, Markstrom is the #1 reason they're still in a playoff run. 

46 minutes ago, Mustache of God said:

Looks like in 37 games last year he had a .905% and 3.11 GAA

This year, in 34 games he's posting a .911% and 2.69 GAA, so he appears to be trending upwards and the eye test tells me he's more in control and collected in the crease. I'm expecting him to continue to improve. How much? Who knows, goalies are ***** weirdos. 

If I'm Botts, I'm brining in a 3rd goalie to camp, someone who used to be a bona-fide starter but is not moving into a back-up role at this stage in his career (think Ryan Miller in Anaheim) to provide some competition. We then waive Hutton and send him to Rochester. Then, when an injury inevitibly strikes you can call up Hutton so you have a better option than Jonas Johannson. Not ideal to be burning that kind of money on a goalie in Rochester, but that's what happens when you sign a career back-up to a 3 year contract...another big whiff for JBOTT. 

In summation, to answer your question of "how good is linus ullmark?" , I'd say he hasn't reached his full potential and we'll see him get better.

Halak with Boston is an UFA after this year, sign him to a 2 year deal and dump Hutton.

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 minute ago, dudacek said:

I really don't think you've watched Markstrom this season. He's been head and shoulders above Linus and should be in the Vezina conversation.

Numbers don't tell the whole story, as I'm sure you'd agree with after Lehner posted SP of .924, .920, .930 and .918 in four of his past 5 years.

You are correct though about what Markstrom was when he was Ullmark's age, and we can all hope Linus shows similar growth.

I didn’t say Ullmark is as good as Markstrom right now, but I think he is on a similar growth track as a goaltender and can become as good as Markstrom.  I’ve seen so much growth in Ullmark this season, I think he is the primary solution in net until UPL is ready.  I think he must be re-signed this summer for 3 to 4 years and then find a quality 30 game backup who can start in case of injury.  

[nfreeman]

Ullmark is ranked:

- 19th in SV%

- 29th in wins

- 23rd in GAA

- 27th in total saves

IMHO, that is nowhere near good enough to be comfortable with him as the starter next year.

They need a no-BS top-10 #1 goalie, or we're going to be sitting here again next year wondering WTF happened to the once-proud Sabres franchise.

[Randall Flagg]

Just now, nfreeman said:

Ullmark is ranked:

- 19th in SV%

- 29th in wins

- 23rd in GAA

- 27th in total saves

IMHO, that is nowhere near good enough to be comfortable with him as the starter next year.

They need a no-BS top-10 #1 goalie, or we're going to be sitting here again next year wondering WTF happened to the once-proud Sabres franchise.

Total saves and total wins when he's been hurt, and some teams use their starters a higher percentage of the time than the Sabres?

Or did you normalize those?

[triumph_communes]

He's good enough that we don't need to do anything to replace him before the prospects start budding.  Could use a good back-up though