So how will the goaltending shake out this year?

[Doohicksie]

We know the players, we know the history.  How do you think the goaltending situation in Buffalo will work out this year?  I'm not going to get too deep into predicting W/L, GAA, SV%, etc., but I was thinking about how the goalies will work out this year (or not).

I think Anderson is a good guy, but he's old and that will tend to make him injury prone.  I think Comrie will be a bright spot, but will need help in goal in terms of workload.  I think UPL will take a step and may be next year's Comrie in the sense of playing well as a backup.  And I predict Malcolm Subban will sing the anthem at least once in full goalie garb.

My prediction:

• Anderson:  15 games started.  The spirit is willing but the flesh is old.
• Comrie:  40 games started.  Will be the clear Number One in terms of playing time and statistics.
• UPL:  25 games stared.  By the end of the season he will be a real NHL goaltender. 
• Subban:  2 games started.  He will be the AHL stalwart but will see a couple of starts in between injuries suffered by the rest of the staff.

Comrie will be better than UPL.  By the end of the season Comrie will be clear #1 and UPL the clear #2 and Anderson will retire from playing.

 

What do you think?

[LabattBlue]

1 minute ago, Doohickie said:

We know the players, we know the history.  How do you think the goaltending situation in Buffalo will work out this year?  I'm not going to get too deep into predicting W/L, GAA, SV%, etc., but I was thinking about how the goalies will work out this year (or not).

I think Anderson is a good guy, but he's old and that will tend to make him injury prone.  I think Comrie will be a bright spot, but will need help in goal in terms of workload.  I think UPL will take a step and may be next year's Comrie in the sense of playing well as a backup.  And I predict Malcolm Subban will sing the anthem at least once in full goalie garb.

My prediction:

• Anderson:  15 games started.  The spirit is willing but the flesh is old.
• Comrie:  40 games started.  Will be the clear Number One in terms of playing time and statistics.
• UPL:  25 games stared.  By the end of the season he will be a real NHL goaltender. 
• Subban:  2 games started.  He will be the AHL stalwart but will see a couple of starts in between injuries suffered by the rest of the staff.

Comrie will be better than UPL.  By the end of the season Comrie will be clear #1 and UPL the clear #2 and Anderson will retire from playing.

 

What do you think?

I am not sure if UPL can become a #1 in the AHL, let alone a competent full time NHL backup playing 20-30 games a year. 

[Doohicksie]

Duly noted.

[sabresparaavida]

Anderson ~20 games where his stats are subpar, but the team plays well and the Sabres have a positive record with him.

Comrie ~40 games where his stats are solid and the team plays well enough to have a decent record.

UPL ~18 games with good save percentage and GAA, but the teams record leaves some to be desired.

Subban/Houser 3-4 games total as fill in for injuries 

[DarthEbriate]

35 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

My prediction:

• Anderson:  15 games started.  The spirit is willing but the flesh is old.
• Comrie:  40 games started.  Will be the clear Number One in terms of playing time and statistics.
• UPL:  25 games stared.  By the end of the season he will be a real NHL goaltender. 
• Subban:  2 games started.  He will be the AHL stalwart but will see a couple of starts in between injuries suffered by the rest of the staff.

Comrie will be better than UPL.  By the end of the season Comrie will be clear #1 and UPL the clear #2 and Anderson will retire from playing.

What do you think?

Fewer games for UPL, because the final 2 weeks of the season, just after Florida eliminates the Sabres from playoff contention on 4/4, Levi and Portillo both sign ELCs. Comrie gets to rest as each college kid gets their taste. Levi goes 3-0, Portillo goes 2-0. There are shutouts involved. And Ottawa is eliminated from playoff contention in game 82. (5 Metro teams make it; no BOS, no OTT).

[Hawerchuk]

Comrie - 70 games played just like Marty Brodeur! Take us to the promised land baby!!

[RochesterExpat]

I'd guess:

Comrie - 45 games with a performance that places him around 15th for starting goalies in the NHL

Anderson - 20 games with a below average performance

UPL - 17 games. Average numbers, but still everyone doubts his ability to play at the level of the NHL because his AHL numbers will be all over the place.

Subban - Sings the anthem in Buffalo but doesn't start a game.

That being said, if there is one thing I have learned from the NHL it's that predicting goalie performance is some kind of divination that's about as accurate as water dowsing so Subban will probably end up winning the Vezina.

[PromoTheRobot]

Comrie will be our reliable #1. Anderson will back him up and over the season UPL will take over from him.

[Zamboni]

1 hour ago, sabresparaavida said:

Anderson ~20 games where his stats are subpar, but the team plays well and the Sabres have a positive record with him.

Comrie ~40 games where his stats are solid and the team plays well enough to have a decent record.

UPL ~18 games with good save percentage and GAA, but the teams record leaves some to be desired.

Subban/Houser 3-4 games total as fill in for injuries 

Well that’s extremely optimistic 😂

[Norcal]

I'd really like to know how Upie spent his summer.

Has he been in the gym?

Did he hire a nutritionist and chef to get his body and mind just right? 

Does he realize the opportunity is there to win or possibly lose this job forever? 

Is he preparing for the season that way? 

I think Comrie is doing most of if not all of the above so that's why I think he will usher the Sabres into a new era of goaltending. 

Comrie will win 20+ and if he's healthy and serious Upie will win 20 of his own. 

Anderson will win 8-10 games too in a limited role. 

There will be some incredible saves and some wtf moments along the way but in the end I think the Sabres will improve across the board in all major statistical categories for goaltenders. 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Comrie ~ 50

Anderson ~ 10

UPL ~ 15

Subban ~ 2

LEVI ~ 5 ... !! 👀

[Zamboni]

I think UPL and Subban combine for more than 20 NHL games. Injuries are a beeotch

[GASabresIUFAN]

6 minutes ago, Zamboni said:

I think UPL and Subban combine for more than 20 NHL games. Injuries are a beeotch

Noooooooooooooooo!

Comrie 50

Anderson 25

UPL 7

[Pimlach]

4 hours ago, Doohickie said:

We know the players, we know the history.  How do you think the goaltending situation in Buffalo will work out this year?  I'm not going to get too deep into predicting W/L, GAA, SV%, etc., but I was thinking about how the goalies will work out this year (or not).

I think Anderson is a good guy, but he's old and that will tend to make him injury prone.  I think Comrie will be a bright spot, but will need help in goal in terms of workload.  I think UPL will take a step and may be next year's Comrie in the sense of playing well as a backup.  And I predict Malcolm Subban will sing the anthem at least once in full goalie garb.

My prediction:

• Anderson:  15 games started.  The spirit is willing but the flesh is old.
• Comrie:  40 games started.  Will be the clear Number One in terms of playing time and statistics.
• UPL:  25 games stared.  By the end of the season he will be a real NHL goaltender. 
• Subban:  2 games started.  He will be the AHL stalwart but will see a couple of starts in between injuries suffered by the rest of the staff.

Comrie will be better than UPL.  By the end of the season Comrie will be clear #1 and UPL the clear #2 and Anderson will retire from playing.

 

What do you think?

You describe it pretty much the way Adams wants to see it.  

[steveoath]

2 hours ago, Sabres Fan in NS said:

Comrie ~ 50

Anderson ~ 10

UPL ~ 15

Subban ~ 2

LEVI ~ 5 ... !! 👀

You read my mind!

[Flashsabre]

Sabres Facebook put out a video of Comrie and UPL trying candy and what a stark difference in size. UPL is a physical monster compared to Comrie. Not that it means anything but I was just surprised seeing it.

Comrie seems like a great guy. I hope this works out for him and he runs with this opportunity. Just competent middle of the road goaltending would be a big step up from what they played in front of a lot of nights last year.

[SHAAAUGHT!!!]

4 hours ago, DarthEbriate said:

Fewer games for UPL, because the final 2 weeks of the season, just after Florida eliminates the Sabres from playoff contention on 4/4, Levi and Portillo both sign ELCs.

I hope both sign ELCs, but I feel pretty good Levi will sign and get some games in here before the end of the season.   

[Taro T]

If Comrie doesn't start at least 50 games, this year's goaltending will be a hot mess.  (It might be even if he does get that many, but not expecting that.)

Comrie 55

Anderson 21

UPL 3

Subban 2

Levi 1

[Digger]

Since you used the term "shakes out" this was the first image that came to my mind............Fragile, do not shake, handle with care.

If Anderson and Comrie stay healthy then we'll be okay but I do have concerns about that.

[apuszczalowski]

Personally, I think that Anderson is going to look done this season, and last years decent performance is it. He is 40+ coming off a season with injuries again where he was talked out of retirement to play

Comrie I think will look alright, but not the savior the team needs I  net to make a jump. I see him having a good start and people's hopes will be up because of it, but then finish average/mediocre.

If UPL can stay healthy, he will impress but probably spend most of the 1st 1/2 to 2/3s of the season in Rochester. The big if is if he is fully 100% healed from his injury. I think k his injury was still affecting him last year and affecting his play last year.

Subbing will spe d the entire year in Rochester except for an occasional call up to fill in for a game or 2 when injuries hit the goaltenders.

This year will probably be a similar year to last year standings wise with a few spans of good play to give hope, and a bunch of bad spans to keep them from gaining ground. Most of the young breakout stars from last year will take a step back as the expectations on them are risen (then they bounce back next year) and they don't meet those expectations this year. This team doesn't have the high level star power yet to make a huge jump in the standings, they are still relying on  youth to reach their star potentials and veterans to fill in the roster until they see the youth is ready to carry the team which is probably a couple years out....

[ddaryl]

I believe Cromrie will shine for us. In limited action he did have better stats then Hellybuyck.

Also Winnipeg seemed to not be very good defense team and if I'm reading stats right the Sabres were better here

I think there is plenty of good reason to believe Cromrie can step up and become a solid G for us.

 

Cromrie probably plays between 40-50 games

Anderson will get 20 -30 Games

And UPL call up makes up any differences

Barring injury(s)

We may be calling up others if injuries happen at G and that will throw a wrench into everything

Edited September 22, 2022 by ddaryl

[matter2003]

I think Comrie is the clear number 1 as long as he continues his play from last year without too much drop off. Ideally maybe 50-60 games. Anderson as little as possible and hopefully UPL the majority of the games Comrie doesn't play. 

Edited September 22, 2022 by matter2003

[apuszczalowski]

I think Comrie gets the #1 job easily, but I think he is a really big question mark if he really is a #1 goalie in the league and one that will help the Sabres.

He doesn't have much experience or track record in the league and has one season where he played double digit games.

Its more likely he plays but doesn't look great/special and ends up as another 'filler piece' goalie until UPL/Portillo/Levi/another draft choice goalie steps up

[Zamboni]

3 hours ago, apuszczalowski said:

I think Comrie gets the #1 job easily, but I think he is a really big question mark if he really is a #1 goalie in the league and one that will help the Sabres.

He doesn't have much experience or track record in the league and has one season where he played double digit games.

Its more likely he plays but doesn't look great/special and ends up as another 'filler piece' goalie until UPL/Portillo/Levi/another draft choice goalie steps up

That’s exactly the point of his two year contract. Any more than a (better than Tokarski) filler, and it’s a bonus.

[Thorner]

17 hours ago, apuszczalowski said:

I think Comrie gets the #1 job easily, but I think he is a really big question mark if he really is a #1 goalie in the league and one that will help the Sabres.

He doesn't have much experience or track record in the league and has one season where he played double digit games.

Its more likely he plays but doesn't look great/special and ends up as another 'filler piece' goalie until UPL/Portillo/Levi/another draft choice goalie steps up

I’ve mentioned this before, but I do think ONE of the reasons we are keeping so much cap space/asset powder dry is because KA will need to go out and pay what it takes to acquire a bonafide starter should the prospective tenders currently in the system not pan out. Any goalie drafted after the ones already in the system won’t arrive on any kind of appropriate timeline for our current core, so I believe we are on the Levi timeline wherein either he develops and seizes the staring role, on schedule, or KA goes outside the organization in a meaningful way to address the position.