Annual expectations thread 2022/23: #31 Eric Comrie

[dudacek]

The Winnipeg Jets drafted Eric Comrie in the 2nd round of the 2013 draft, 23 picks after Montreal made Zach Fucale the first goalie selected, and 70 picks before Buffalo snagged Cal Petersen.

Over the next 8 years he eventually proved himself to be a good AHL goalie, posting .916 and .917 save percentages in his last two seasons as a regular starter with the Manitoba Moose in 2018 and 2019.

He was also sent to the minors 10 times, placed on the taxi squad 4 times, waived 5 times, claimed 4 times (twice by Winnipeg) and traded once. He managed to squeeze in 9 NHL games, compiling a grisly .873 save percentage.

https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=132742

Last year, however, things finally clicked into place for this “goalie nerd” and “genuinely good guy”. Comrie found a home and a full-time role as the Jets backup. And he excelled in his 19 games, with a goals saved above expected rate second to only Igor Shesterkin in the entire NHL.

The Sabres signed him to a 2-year deal on the opening day of free agency for backup money and a chance to start.

What do you expect from him this year?

Edited September 22, 2022 by dudacek

[sabresparaavida]

I’m going to go with 45 games ~9.10 save percentage, equivalent to a 1B type goalie. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

I'm hoping for 45 games with Ullmark level play.  The other 37 will go to Anderson 25, UPL 10 and Subban 2.

Sadly the goaltending in the other 37 will be sub par.

[Weave]

Another great unknown.  Tons of uncertainty in key positions this season.

[Digger]

I really don't know what to expect for Comrie.

He's in a better spot than UPL to play in the NHL this season.  He does have some talent.  He's put in his time in the AHL and had some time as an NHL backup.  The interviews that I listened to shows that he has a great attitude and that's generally pretty important for goalies with the mental aspects of the game.  He knows this season is his year to get a shot at being a #1 which is great for him coming into the season.  The thing I worry about is health.  Can he stay healthy?  Can he manage the heavier workload if Anderson can't play as much or gets injured?  If UPL starts playing better then that will relieve some pressure (in that event).

Goal is still a weak position for the Sabres this season.  I'm on board with hoping it goes well but the plan B is still pretty weak if Comrie does not rise to the challenge.

[Doohicksie]

My choice is based more on Hopium than reality:  He'll be the best goalie the Sabres have had since Hasek.

[thewookie1]

I think he gives us a solid boost in comparison to last year. I don’t think he’ll be a 1A but a solid 1B. 

[Eleven]

There’s not enough of a body of work to answer this, which is kind of what I said when the Sabres acquired him.  He could be a diamond in the rough, and he cluld be a JAG.  GIven that he had an NHL job, I doubt that he will be disaster .

[Wyldnwoody44]

He will play 53 games, a. 917 save percentage and a 1.91 GAA, we make it to game 7 of the 2nd round where we lose to NY rags in OT on a fluke goal. 

We are collectively sad, but still overall ecstatic from the SuperBowl party that's held all February long in Buffalo 

[nfreeman]

I took the optimistic legit NHL starter option.  It’s mostly a bet on the acumen of KA and his staff.

We’ll see.  He needs to be right on this one.  

[Sabres Fan in NS]

I really don't know anything about this guy, but I will hape for the best, as usual.

[dudacek]

I love Comrie’s character and think he has NHL skill, but I wonder if he is the type of guy who gets in his own head.

He has a track record of getting NHL opportunities and blowing them. Nine starts with three different NHL teams to start his career (a 4th, Arizona, kept him for 3 months on the bench without ever giving him a shot) and he was mediocre to bad in every single one of them. This despite AHL play that showed he should have been ready.

Part of me says last year proved he has overcome that. Part of me wonders if, in the presence of his 1st real opportunity to be the guy, he melts down again.

 

Edited August 7, 2022 by dudacek

[irregularly irregular]

2 things give me hope.

As you said a hockey nerd that hopefully figured out his game and he will build upon the success of last season.

Also a genuinely good guy that the boys will play hard for. The Anderson effect from last year where the team played better when they had a goalie who kept them in the game. 

[Zamboni]

If the Anderson Tokarski tandem was a D+, I think the Anderson Comrie tandem will be a C. 
I didn’t want Anderson back at all, but it is what it is and that’s what they’re going with. 

[Huckleberry]

3 hours ago, nfreeman said:

I took the optimistic legit NHL starter option.  It’s mostly a bet on the acumen of KA and his staff.

We’ll see.  He needs to be right on this one.  

Did the same, probably too optimistic but we might have a steal 🙂

[PerreaultForever]

Marginally better than Tokarski. That's what I expect. Goaltending will be an issue and a frequent point of complaint for people this season. 

[bob_sauve28]

Hopefully he works out this well...

 

 

[PromoTheRobot]

Comrie is going to be a "problem" in that he's going to play so well he's going to upend what Adams thought was his goalie timeline. There will be talk of extending him before the season is up.

That is my prognostication.

[ddaryl]

I'm voting with my heart on this one. I see Comrie becoming a legitimate starter making UPL work harder to earn a long term spot. (I sure do hope so)

 

[JohnC]

The big unknown for me is whether the success in the last third of the season was meaningful. Or was it a team that was out of the playoffs playing with no pressure because there were no playoff implication games. I'm leaning toward meaningful because during that end of the season stint the roster was belatedly healthy. And being healthy the team demonstrated that it could play competitively against all teams. (Not saying they were better than the upper echelon teams.) So my tepid prediction is that the Sabres will be vying for a playoff spot up to the very end of the season. Will they make the playoffs? Probably not. 

[Doohicksie]

3 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Comrie is going to be a "problem" in that he's going to play so well he's going to upend what Adams thought was his goalie timeline. There will be talk of extending him before the season is up.

That is my prognostication.

That would be a great problem to have.

[Cityo'Rasmii]

"The Cominator"

[Ducky]

25-30 games would be ideal in my opinion.

He did really well in the games he got into last year and deserved more starts.

I don't know enough about the Sabres' Team D or PK to guess what his save % would be but if they play half decent D, a .920 sv% wouldn't surprise me at all.

Great in the room and everyone says you couldn't meet a nicer guy. I wish him all the best except against us.

Edited August 8, 2022 by Ducky

[sabresparaavida]

1 hour ago, Ducky said:

25-30 games would be ideal in my opinion.

He did really well in the games he got into last year and deserved more starts.

I don't know enough about the Sabres' Team D or PK to guess what his save % would be but if they play half decent D, a .920 sv% wouldn't surprise me at all.

Great in the room and everyone says you couldn't meet a nicer guy. I wish him all the best except against us.

In an ideal world, the Sabres would have a competent starter and Comrie would only need to play 25-30 games, but I don’t see Anderson staying good/healthy for 50+ games. Unless UPL blows the Sabres away or Comrie gets hurt, I don’t see him playing less than 30 games.

[Norcal]

I'm going with why the ***** not? 

It happens all the time, why the ***** can't the Sabres catch that magic.

They're due, its been 30 years since the last time they did with The Dominator.

Not comparing the two players just the situation.

I don't expect Comrie to do what The Dominator did but...

Why the ***** not!