Is Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen Our Second Goalie Next Season?

[Zamboni]

11 minutes ago, Curt said:

Hasn’t Rask already made it public that it’s Boston or retirement for him?

Pekka Rinna is bad, and might be retiring too.

Kevin Dubnyk!  the goalie so good that you don’t know his name.  He has been bad the past two seasons.

Frederick Anderson has not been too good in a couple years.

I think you are giving guys too much credit for their past reputations and not looking at how they have actually played the past couple years.  I would take Ullmark over any of them, excluding Rask.

Yes Rask has publicly stated that

 

Yes Rinne has announced he’s retiring

 

That leaves the pickings even more grim.

[DarthEbriate]

1 hour ago, Zamboni said:

Yes Rask has publicly stated that

Yes Rinne has announced he’s retiring

That leaves the pickings even more grim.

Ullmark's market value increases by the day.

[Eleven]

Probably--although I don't think he should be, ideally.  The Sabres don't have a goalie under contract for next season.  I don't know how they're going to pull in two qualified NHL goaltenders between now and September.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

5 hours ago, pi2000 said:

I don't see Ullmark coming back, and UPL isn't ready yet.

I agree that UPL is not quite ready.

I do think that Linus will be back.

[Norcal]

No. I think he'll start in Rochester with a team and group of prospects like they haven't had in a long time and possibly make a long playoff run before coming up to Buffalo in 2023.

[Norcal]

Sabres need to seriously try to sign atleast two of the top goalies besides Ullmark or 3 if Ullmark leaves. They need options and not low end ones. 

[bob_sauve28]

21 minutes ago, Eleven said:

Probably--although I don't think he should be, ideally.  The Sabres don't have a goalie under contract for next season.  I don't know how they're going to pull in two qualified NHL goaltenders between now and September.

I have a bad feeling we will over pay for a washed up vet, like Vancouver did with Holtby 

[GASabresIUFAN]

Right now UPL is our No. 1 goalie.  

[Curt]

4 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Right now UPL is our No. 1 goalie.  

Tokarski should be ahead of him on the depth chart.  When they last needed a goaltender, they turned to Tokarski before UPL.

[bob_sauve28]

25 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Right now UPL is our No. 1 goalie.  

Damn, I can't unread that...

19 minutes ago, Curt said:

Tokarski should be ahead of him on the depth chart.  When they last needed a goaltender, they turned to Tokarski before UPL.

Oh dear God...

 

And Houser! 

[Curt]

24 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

Damn, I can't unread that...

Oh dear God...

 

And Houser! 

Houser isn’t signed.  He’s a free agent.

[PerreaultForever]

6 hours ago, Curt said:

Hasn’t Rask already made it public that it’s Boston or retirement for him?

Pekka Rinna is bad, and might be retiring too.

Kevin Dubnyk!  the goalie so good that you don’t know his name.  He has been bad the past two seasons.

Frederick Anderson has not been too good in a couple years.

I think you are giving guys too much credit for their past reputations and not looking at how they have actually played the past couple years.  I would take Ullmark over any of them, excluding Rask.

Yes, Rask has said that. He's also having some sort of surgery that might make him miss the beginning of the year. Rinne has retired, today. Dubnyk as a back up only. He's hot and cold (lately mostly cold). Anderson not sure. He could still have some life left in him. Really nothing to get excited about among the old guys, you are right. 

[postseasonblues]

First they need their starter and an idea of how many games they plan on using him. Then they can decide what they need as a backup. I'm not expecting it to be UPL.

[GASabresIUFAN]

4 hours ago, Curt said:

Tokarski should be ahead of him on the depth chart.  When they last needed a goaltender, they turned to Tokarski before UPL.

If I remember correctly UPL got hurt in early March. When healthy he’d  be no.1 over Togarski

Edited July 14, 2021 by GASabresIUFAN

[klos1963]

5 hours ago, Curt said:

Tokarski should be ahead of him on the depth chart.  When they last needed a goaltender, they turned to Tokarski before UPL.

Jesus, imagine trading Eichel and Rienhart and going into the season with Blutarski as our #1.

[GASabresIUFAN]

This issue is one of the reasons I had hoped that KA would have worked a deal to acquire a goalie (or signed Ullmark) by now to utilize our one expansion goalie slot.  UPL is exempt and who cares if they take Togarski.  This is a serious wasted opportunity.  

[Pimlach]

Goaltending should be the FIRST position a GM fills.  I just can’t stress that enough. 
 

We have to re-sign Ullmark AND bring in solid goalie for #2 from one of the inevitable trades we will be making. 

 

[Zamboni]

12 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Goaltending should be the FIRST position a GM fills.  I just can’t stress that enough. 
 

We have to re-sign Ullmark AND bring in solid goalie for #2 from one of the inevitable trades we will be making. 

 

You want Ullmark as the teams #1?

… yuk. He’s good. But solid 55-60 games a season above average good?  I have major doubts he’s that. As a backup or 1B… Ok sure.

[pi2000]

2 minutes ago, Zamboni said:

You want Ullmark as the teams #1?

… yuk. He’s good. But solid 55-60 games a season above average good?  I have major doubts he’s that. As a backup or 1B… Ok sure.

I think he's good enough.

Can he stay healthy tho?

[dudacek]

I honestly would be shocked if the Sabres don’t acquire a goalie prior to the ExD freeze.

That goalie protection slot is a wasted asset if they don’t.

[dudacek]

4 minutes ago, Zamboni said:

You want Ullmark as the teams #1?

… yuk. He’s good. But solid 55-60 games a season above average good?  I have major doubts he’s that. As a backup or 1B… Ok sure.

Is it strictly the injuries?

Because over the past two years he has been clearly above average good in the games he’s played.

[Hoss]

14 hours ago, dudacek said:

Ullmark is the best available goalie on the free agent market and will be one of the stories of next season.

Too bad the story will be about how the Sabres let him get away.

UPL needs games and needs to prove he is a top AHL goalie before he makes the leap.

Buffalo will have acquired a new goalie by the time the draft is over, and I don’t mean by drafting one.

I don't believe teams around the league will view this as the truth. It may or may not be but I'd be surprised if there are many GMs who believe it.

[Hoss]

11 hours ago, steveoath said:

Worth keeping tabs on the Nedeljkovic situation.

https://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/hurricanes_might_not_tender_qualifying_offer_to_breakout_goaltender_alex_nedeljkovic/s1_14825_35345846

Yup. If he shakes loose I want him in a bad way.

I think Ullmark is a solid start and a better backup who I hope does get another shot here. His injury history is concerning because some goalies never get out of it. I think he's overrated by Sabres fans because we have a history of goalies outperforming their talent on really bad teams and it somehow gets forgotten each time.

[Pimlach]

7 hours ago, Zamboni said:

You want Ullmark as the teams #1?

… yuk. He’s good. But solid 55-60 games a season above average good?  I have major doubts he’s that. As a backup or 1B… Ok sure.

I prefer Ullmark as our 1B or 2.  Looking at what out there it’s not promising we get a better #1. 

Edited July 14, 2021 by Pimlach

[Taro T]

21 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

I prefer Ullmark as our 1B or 2.  Looking at what out there it’s not promising we get a better #1. 

No.  But there are guys that should be available via FA or trade that are comparable to provide what we expect/hope to see from Ullmark.  Bring one in, re-sign Ullmark, & let the better man win the battle.

The Sabres then by definition have Ullmark quality GTing every game rather than the near guaranteed L that was Hutton & crew.

And unfortunately, the younger goalies that may come in via trade are still crapshoots to an extent.  Had the Sabres somehow (he wasn't available, thus "somehow") traded for Hart prior to last season, people would've been pretty stoked.  But it would've been a disaster as he regressed tremendously from where he'd been.