So who is going to be the new goalie?

[PerreaultForever]

18 minutes ago, Radar said:

Agee. Not sure Ulmark ever was going to sign. Where they messed up was letting him get to fee agency. Having said that I'm not the biggest fan of giving him what he got. To inconsistent and injuries worried me. He could be lights out in stretches and not so great at times. Don't look at him as long time #1 personally.

Yes, that's the ***** up, the assumption they could get him to sign. They should have known better when he didn't sign by the deadline and there was no plan B as has been mentioned by others. 

[PerreaultForever]

9 minutes ago, Huckleberry said:

They cocked it up 2 years ago when both Samson and Linus would have signed long term deals.    Before Jack said he wanted out.

I'm not on board with this. At that point both of them would have leveraged the team for fat paydays they didn't deserve. Maybe not as extreme as Skinner did, but the same sort of thing. There is no way either would have signed long term deals here in this environment without huge over payments. Neither was worth that. If they were we'd already have been winning. 

[Berg]

Why do we never take good goalies from Russia as other teams? Buffalo can be the best place for these dudes after russian poor cities.

[woods-racer]

1 hour ago, nfreeman said:

No argument that I'm old, but still.  This isn't a teenage girl we're talking about, or a B side from a marginal Rush single -- this was a 32-ish woman, and it was Purple Haze.  I'm entitled to expect her to be familiar with Stairway to Heaven, Sympathy for the Devil, Baba O'Riley and Purple Haze.  Otherwise how can I trust her with anesthesia or sharp instruments?

It's not age at all, I was just razzing you. My wife who is our age would have no idea who sang or what those lyrics meant. She was always a more of a pop top 50 girl. 

[Buffalonill]

Let me put this in perspective

We're  2-9 in the last 11 

The coyotes  are 6-5 in the last 11 

[Berg]

As long as we will have 2 secondary goalies in the net without main we will lose most of the games. We don't have the first goalie for years...

[Marvin]

44 minutes ago, Berg said:

As long as we will have 2 secondary goalies in the net without main we will lose most of the games. We don't have the first goalie for years...

welcome back.

[RangerDave]

3 hours ago, nfreeman said:

I was at the dentist recently and as the nitrous was about to be applied, I said to the hygienist, "Excuse me while I kiss the sky" -- and got a blank stare.  I said "please tell me you get that," and she said she didn't.  Not as big a bummer as the dentistry itself, but still.

Are you sure she didn't think you said, "Excuse me while I kiss this guy"?  That could earn a blank stare....

[OhMyDahlin]

This team won't have a legit starting goalie solidified until one of Luukkonen, Portillo or Levi step up and take the job.

Until then it will be more Craig Anderson, Dustin Tokarski and Aaron Dell...or guys like them.

Edited November 24, 2021 by OhMyDahlin

[Curt]

7 hours ago, Weave said:

They care about developing their precious youth though.  We’ve already seen what a no hope environment does to developing young stars.

Just asking, what are you referring to when you say this?

Our developing young stars did develop well.

Players got pissed off, but they developed.

[kas23]

2 hours ago, Buffalonill said:

Let me put this in perspective

We're  2-9 in the last 11 

The coyotes  are 6-5 in the last 11 

Speaking of Arizona, I would give them a ring and see what they want for Hutton. 

[Digger]

6 hours ago, bob_sauve28 said:

Goalie trade that didn’t go so well 

Andreychuk
Daren Puppa
1993 1st round pick (#12-Kenny Jonsson) 

February 2, 1993

Grant Fuhr
1995 5th round pick (#119-Kevin Popp)

 

As I recall a lot of the fans had given up on Andreychuk to score in the playoffs.  Of course he turned that around once he left town. 

You didn't state this in your post but I'm sure it's part of your point in that the biggest issue was when we traded for Fuhr (Muckler favorite) we had an unproven, unconventional goalie named Hasek sitting on the bench waiting for a chance.  We didn't need to make the trade at all.

[Weave]

29 minutes ago, Curt said:

Just asking, what are you referring to when you say this?

Our developing young stars did develop well.

Players got pissed off, but they developed.

I think they all would have been better in a winning, mentored environment.  I think the frequent unwinnable games that sapped their spirit also held them back.  They were never able to experience playing for something and that drive and hunger was set aside and replaced with drudgery.  And they never had to challenge players that knew how to rise to the occasion to win their jobs.  That in itself is a developmental step.  They came in, won a position over a non NHL player, and never were challenged to take the next step because the team never approached that threshold.  Another developmental step.

Imagine if Jack, Sam, or Risto were plunked onto the Boston Bruins roster at age 20.  Or Colorado.  Or Vegas.  I think they become very different players.

[pi2000]

3 minutes ago, kas23 said:

Speaking of Arizona, I would give them a ring and see what they want for Hutton. 

 

[Weave]

2 minutes ago, Digger said:

As I recall a lot of the fans had given up on Andreychuk to score in the playoffs.  Of course he turned that around once he left town. 

You didn't state this in your post but I'm sure it's part of your point in that the biggest issue was when we traded for Fuhr (Muckler favorite) we had an unproven, unconventional goalie named Hasek sitting on the bench waiting for a chance.  We didn't need to make the trade at all.

Andy had plenty of playoff goals in Buffalo.  That wasn't it.  He was perceived as part of a failed core that couldn't get past the 1st playoff round for 10 seasons, not unlike the failed post-Drury/Briere core.

[French Collection]

I saw an article from The Hockey News that I was unable to read. The headline was Half of the NHL is up against the Cap, limiting trades.

The Sabres have tons of cap space and this can be weaponized to get a goalie, whether a short term bandaid or a prospect closer to the NHL than UPL.

I am not scouring depth charts and making phone calls, that is KA’s job. There has to be some decent guys that can be pried away by taking an expiring contract.

An example I’ve cited a few times is Dallas. Bishop, Khudobin, Holtby and Oettinger. All four can play in the NHL, better than Dell.

[Curt]

1 hour ago, Weave said:

I think they all would have been better in a winning, mentored environment.  I think the frequent unwinnable games that sapped their spirit also held them back.  They were never able to experience playing for something and that drive and hunger was set aside and replaced with drudgery.  And they never had to challenge players that knew how to rise to the occasion to win their jobs.  That in itself is a developmental step.  They came in, won a position over a non NHL player, and never were challenged to take the next step because the team never approached that threshold.  Another developmental step.

Imagine if Jack, Sam, or Risto were plunked onto the Boston Bruins roster at age 20.  Or Colorado.  Or Vegas.  I think they become very different players.

I’m not convinced.  Those players became (on-ice) what they were supposed to become.  I don’t think Boston would have fixed Risto’s hockey IQ.

[Pimlach]

2 hours ago, OhMyDahlin said:

This team won't have a legit starting goalie solidified until one of Luukkonen, Portillo or Levi step up and take the job.

Until then it will be more Craig Anderson, Dustin Tokarski and Aaron Dell...or guys like them.

If they plan on giving UPL a shot next season then they better have a real NHL 1B or 2 on the team.  It’s going to be hard to make this team progress without some improvement in goal.  It’s demoralizing otherwise and it Impedes establishing a better culture.   
 

PS - it might help put fans in the seats too.  

Edited November 24, 2021 by Pimlach

[Weave]

7 minutes ago, Curt said:

I’m not convinced.  Those players became (on-ice) what they were supposed to become.  I don’t think Boston would have fixed Risto’s hockey IQ.

[Curt]

8 minutes ago, Weave said:

I don’t know how to interpret this.

Honestly, I am sort of surprised that I feel this way, because I’m a proponent creating a competitive environment because that’s what’s best for the young players.

I don’t know, I guess in those cases (Eichel, Sam, Risto) didn’t the players become what we expected, with the exception of Risto’s hockey IQ never improving? (I’m not sure if that’s a teachable thing)

[Weave]

3 minutes ago, Curt said:

I don’t know how to interpret this.

Honestly, I am sort of surprised that I feel this way, because I’m a proponent creating a competitive environment because that’s what’s best for the young players.

I don’t know, I guess in those cases (Eichel, Sam, Risto) didn’t the players become what we expected, with the exception of Risto’s hockey IQ never improving? (I’m not sure if that’s a teachable thing)

See my comments re hockey IQ elsewhere today.  We don’t know ***** about Ristos IQ and you can’t measure it to compare to anyone anyway.  It’s the same as calling Dahlin dumb, which PA took so much ***** for.  Risto is alot of things.  Dumber than average on the ice probably isn’t one of them.

I’ll disagree that they became what we expected.  Certainly not what I expected.  I think they all had it in them however.  

[Huckleberry]

14 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

I'm not on board with this. At that point both of them would have leveraged the team for fat paydays they didn't deserve. Maybe not as extreme as Skinner did, but the same sort of thing. There is no way either would have signed long term deals here in this environment without huge over payments. Neither was worth that. If they were we'd already have been winning. 

Linus maybe, but I doubt he would have gotten more than 5 mill, Samson deserved a 6x6 contract easy.

[inkman]

On 11/22/2021 at 11:56 PM, Flashsabre said:

It is obvious that the goaltending is letting this organization down. Waiting for UPL to suddenly turn it around and be ready isn’t sound strategy. Adams need to get someone in here to stabilize the net for a while.

I really wanted Vladar before Calgary grabbed him. I’m not sure who they are going to look at but Georgiev and Korpisalo are not the answers.

They aren’t bringing anyone in

[PerreaultForever]

7 hours ago, Huckleberry said:

Linus maybe, but I doubt he would have gotten more than 5 mill, Samson deserved a 6x6 contract easy.

Well no point me going on about how I disliked Reinhart (that's already beaten to death here) but no way would he have signed 6x6 here. No way. 

He got 6.5 from Florida and they are a winning team and have those lucrative tax laws working for them. He also, playing on a winner, gets a chance to thrive and then earn even more after this deal for a final fat payday where he wants to retire (probably). Eichel felt trapped by his deal and demanded out. Sam wasn't going to lock himself in here absolutely zero chance without grossly overpaying him then maybe, but even then probably not. 

[Huckleberry]

4 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Well no point me going on about how I disliked Reinhart (that's already beaten to death here) but no way would he have signed 6x6 here. No way. 

He got 6.5 from Florida and they are a winning team and have those lucrative tax laws working for them. He also, playing on a winner, gets a chance to thrive and then earn even more after this deal for a final fat payday where he wants to retire (probably). Eichel felt trapped by his deal and demanded out. Sam wasn't going to lock himself in here absolutely zero chance without grossly overpaying him then maybe, but even then probably not. 

Well he already stated he would have signed long term 2 years ago if he could.  And he would have been a crucial part of this team anyway if still here.