Goaltending this season and Beyond

[GASabresIUFAN]

45 minutes ago, apuszczalowski said:

What about this season right now isn't a scary thought?

As of right now, I would bet they go into the season with Dell and UPL as a 1A/1B tandem and Anderson retiring before the season starts but staying on to help coach and work with UPL. The Sabres seem to be on a real kick of hiring former players to the coaching and front office staff, wouldn't be surprised if Andersons signing was intended as a a way to bring him in to work and sort of mentor UPL while being a 'worst case scenario/backup plan' emergency goalie to go into the season if they need someone. Goalies his age don't usually change their minds on retirement to go play for a team almost certain to be in last or second to last in the league after playing in less then a 1/2 dozen games the year before to be paid league minimum.

The really sad part and why I am so frustrated is that it didn't have to be this way.  I am a huge advocate for playing the kids, but only if they are reasonably ready and UPL isn't even close.  Guys who can't even save 90% of the shots against them in the AHL aren't ready for the NHL.  To make it worse there is a great deal to like up front and on defense.  Young and inexperienced absolutely, but talent that was clearly on display at the end of last season.  All KA had to do was give the young skaters veteran support in net and we'd at least have a chance each night.  Instead he gives us two guys worse then the crap that was already here after Ullmark rightly bolted out of town.  He had no plan B for Ullmark and had no plan at all for a legit backup to Ullmark even if he had stayed.  It's really heartbreaking the level of incompetence in our front office.

[Taro T]

On 8/19/2021 at 8:15 PM, Hoss said:

 

Paraphrasing Billy Crystal's Fernando character from SNL: it's better to look maaarvelous than to play maaarvelous, and you - look - maaaarvelous.

(Sadly, that's likely the most we have to look forward to in net this season.)

[bob_sauve28]

So right now it’s UPL getting 41 games and Craig Anderson gets 41

 

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

4 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

So right now it’s UPL getting 41 games and Craig Anderson gets 41

 

 

I thought that earlier, but could we see a 3 headed goaltending monster in net with Dell, UPL and Anderson?

[bob_sauve28]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I thought that earlier, but could we see a 3 headed goaltending monster in net with Dell, UPL and Anderson?

Or maybe someone else picked up before season begins. Maybe UPL and Anderson play well, I dunno. 😞 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

I don't think UPL is ready.  They will not bring him up until he is ready.  I think we will see a lot of Dell and Anderson and some of the others coming and going from Rochester.

[bob_sauve28]

Goalies who played past 40, we are familiar with a couple of them 

https://www.thesportster.com/hockey/ranking-all-18-nhl-goalies-who-played-past-the-age-of-40/

[Hoss]

3 hours ago, New Scotland (NS) said:

I don't think UPL is ready.  They will not bring him up until he is ready.  I think we will see a lot of Dell and Anderson and some of the others coming and going from Rochester.

I don’t think any of us know what ready is when it comes to goalies. They’re ***** weird. We have at least one here and he’s a weirdo (with love). I think chances are high UPL plays the second most games of any goalie this season.

[Thorner]

On 8/21/2021 at 2:21 PM, GASabresIUFAN said:

I thought that earlier, but could we see a 3 headed goaltending monster in net with Dell, UPL and Anderson?

[Doohicksie]

Interesting.  Is there a big difference between these two stat lines?  I mean, is either one of these goalies clearly better than the other?

In 114 NHL games, 2.83 GAA, .906 SV% 49W, 39L, 12OL

In 117 NHL games, 2.78 GAA, .912 SV% 50W, 47L, 13OL

[GASabresIUFAN]

3 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

Interesting.  Is there a big difference between these two stat lines?  I mean, is either one of these goalies clearly better than the other?

In 114 NHL games, 2.83 GAA, .906 SV% 49W, 39L, 12OL

In 117 NHL games, 2.78 GAA, .912 SV% 50W, 47L, 13OL

Who are you comparing Ullmark to?  Ullmark's numbers are pretty incredible if you think about the teams he played on.  Did the other guy achieve those numbers on a similarly crappy team or did he have a better team in front of him?

[Doohicksie]

The other guy is on the Sabres roster.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

2 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

The other guy is on the Sabres roster.

Dell?

There is no real difference.  Maybe @pi2000 will be right.

[GASabresIUFAN]

11 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

The other guy is on the Sabres roster.

Yes.  Ullmark's line is better.  He is 4 years younger and his play has been improving while Dell's play has been going the other direction.  KA will look like a genius if Dell somehow returns to the form of 2017/18, but don't count on it. 

Edited August 24, 2021 by GASabresIUFAN

[Taro T]

1 minute ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Yes.  Ullmark's line is better.  He is 4 years younger and his play has been improving while Dell's play has been going the other direction.  KA will look like a genius is Dell some how returns to the form of 2017/18, but don't count on it.

Or, he'll face the inevitable question of why didn't he grab him for $500 last year when he was available & let Bales work his magic on him then before completely uprooting everything that was here.

If he were here & playing like Ullmark last season wouldn't have gone pure sideways.  

But, yes, counting on the bolded to happen would be unwise.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Dell's save % over the last 3 seasons is .895 in 65 games on terrible teams.  Ullmark's over the same period on equally bad teams in .911 in 91 games.

[Pimlach]

19 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

Interesting.  Is there a big difference between these two stat lines?  I mean, is either one of these goalies clearly better than the other?

In 114 NHL games, 2.83 GAA, .906 SV% 49W, 39L, 12OL

In 117 NHL games, 2.78 GAA, .912 SV% 50W, 47L, 13OL

Look at last season. Linus was far better. 

[Doohicksie]

8 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Yes.  Ullmark's line is better.  He is 4 years younger and his play has been improving while Dell's play has been going the other direction.  KA will look like a genius is Dell some how returns to the form of 2017/18, but don't count on it. 

He's four years younger than Dell, yes.  The difference is four years in the NCAA for Dell.

This past season is an aberration for Dell; he spent most of it on a taxi squad and only appeared in 7 games.  His stats were down, but I would be willing to write those off based on small sample size.  I don't see him as better or even as good as Ullmark, but he could be better than every other goalie the wear the blue & gold last season.  He might have been on Adams' radar while the Ullmark negotiations were ongoing and his primary target if Linus got away.

I don't know what fancystats look like for goalies; I wonder how Dell compares to Ullmark upon closer examination.

5 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Look at last season. Linus was far better. 

Dell didn't freakin play.  Small sample size, etc.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

The bottom line is the Sabres have Dell and not Linus, so it really does not matter if Linus is better.

Linus is better.  So, what?  Let's hope that Dell is okay.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Just now, Doohickie said:

He's four years younger than Dell, yes.  The difference is four years in the NCAA for Dell.

This past season is an aberration for Dell; he spent most of it on a taxi squad and only appeared in 7 games.  His stats were down, but I would be willing to write those off based on small sample size.  I don't see him as better or even as good as Ullmark, but he could be better than every other goalie the wear the blue & gold last season.  He might have been on Adams' radar while the Ullmark negotiations were ongoing and his primary target if Linus got away.

I don't know what fancystats look like for goalies; I wonder how Dell compares to Ullmark upon closer examination.

Please see below 

6 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Dell's save % over the last 3 seasons is .895 in 65 games on terrible teams.  Ullmark's over the same period on equally bad teams in .911 in 91 games.

 

[Doohicksie]

12 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Or, he'll face the inevitable question of why didn't he grab him for $500 last year when he was available & let Bales work his magic on him then before completely uprooting everything that was here.

...

But, yes, counting on the bolded to happen would be unwise.

When Dell was waived Krueger was still HC.  I suspect he was effectively co-GM as well.

...

I don't think he's counting on the bolded as such, but it's worth a flyer.  If his stats are even close to Ullmark's for a year or two until the pipeline matures, KA will be seen as a savant.

[Doohicksie]

6 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Please see below

Fair enough.  We'll see.

[Pimlach]

9 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

Dell didn't freakin play.  Small sample size, etc.

Dell did indeed play in 2020-21

Dell played 7 games and was 1-5

save percentage - 0.857;   GAA = 4.14 

Ullmark played 20 games and was 9-6-3

save percentage - 0.917;   GAA = 2.63

 

[Doohicksie]

1 minute ago, Pimlach said:

Dell did indeed play in 2020-21

Dell played 7 games and was 1-5

save percentage - 0.857;   GAA = 4.14 

Ullmark played 20 games and was 9-6-3

save percentage - 0.917;   GAA = 2.63

"didn't freakin play" = 7 games:  Very small sample.  From the taxi squad. 

Put him in as an intended 1B and see how he does.

[Pimlach]

15 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

"didn't freakin play" = 7 games:  Very small sample.  From the taxi squad. 

Put him in as an intended 1B and see how he does.

I hope your enthusiasm for Dell turns out to be correct.  

Could it be he was buried on New Jersey depth chart (7 games)  because he was not as good as their other goalies?  He was behind Blackwood and Wedgewood, not exactly a dynamic duo.  

Keep this in mind, the Boston Bruins had an equal opportunity to sign Dell and Ullmark.  They made a very strong commitment to Ullmark.   I am going to trust the talent evaluation of the Boston Bruins on this one.  

Edited August 24, 2021 by Pimlach