Is UPL Still the Plan

[SwampD]

In the Levi thread someone (LGR?) said they are done with all three of our current goaltenders, but, are our coaches and GM? I don't think so and I don't think they should be.

I don't know much about goalie development timelines, but 6K3U is only 24 and that seams awfully early to give up on a guy who has shown flashes, and who seems like most of his issues are in his head.

I still have hope for him and think he is still the plan. Just wonder what other's thoughts are.

[Taro T]

Expect his is currently pencilled in as the backup next year.  No clue who the starter will be.  Unless it's Levi (and that's a stretch) he isn't in this organization at present.

[dudacek]

He’s not ready to be a #1 and I’m not sure he ever will be.

Developed properly, I haven’t written him off as an NHLer though.

Hope Levi gets a good look down the stretch. Failing that, I hope UPL gets 2/3rds of the starts left and gives us a good sense of what he might be for next year.

Comrie and Anderson aren’t the answer now, nor will they be in the future.

Edited March 10, 2023 by dudacek

[Marvin]

Goalkeepers tend to not come into their own until they are 25.  UPL still has some development time.

Addendum: that means we need a reliable bridge to him and Levi.

Edited March 10, 2023 by Marvin

[Hank]

6K will be the 1A next year. 

[matter2003]

Levi will be here sooner than expected I hope...

We cannot go through another season with this type of goaltending, especially with the way we play team defense.

[Mustache of God]

Unfortunately Comrie is signed through next year. At the beginning of the season I thought this year would be Comrie - Anderson and next year Comrie - UPL but I'm at the point now where I might puke if I have to type Comrie's name ever again. 

At this point he has zero trade value, so I'm not sure how we exclude him from the line-up? Do we waive him, buy him out? Buying him out over the summer would see us have a 600K cap hit in 23-24 and in 24-25, which seems reasonable. 

Given the nature of how goalies develop I think it would be short-sighted to move on from UPL, but we need a real, established goalie who isn't a piece of swiss cheese or the oldest player in the NHL.

 

 

[Weave]

I think he has to be the plan.  Comrie sure as hell isn’t and thats about it for goalies under contract.  This was essentially planned.

[Pimlach]

I think the plan in pencil is UPL (1) and Comrie (2), with Levi in the AHL. 

 

I hope that a move for a real NHL starter (like Saros)  is also seriously pursued.   We need a better bridge to Levi, and we should not rush and ruin Levi.  

[Indabuff]

I'm getting anxiety thinking about UPL and Comrie being our 1 and 2 goalies next year.

[Marvin]

9 minutes ago, Indabuff said:

I'm getting anxiety thinking about UPL and Comrie being our 1 and 2 goalies next year.

IMHO, if a team like, say, Nashville goes into a rebuild this off-season, the Sabres should check out their goalkeepers. 

[msw2112]

For next year:

1.  NHL Vet under the age of 40 not named Comrie - 1 (perhaps a high annual, shorter term deal)

2. UPL - 1A/2

3. Levi - Rochester

It's too bad Comrie isn't working out, because he seems like a team player, good guy, and hard worker, but it's pretty clear he's not a reliable NHL goaltender.  He may be fine as a backup on a team with great defense, but that's not the Sabres.  Not sure what they do with the year remaining on his contract, but I guess they'll figure it out.

[GoPuckYourself]

UPL is backup material imo, he has some time to develop but the window is closing rapidly. I'm not sure who this vet savior is going to be with our defensive woes he needs to be Hasek and I don't see any Hasek's out there in FA.

[Scottysabres]

1 hour ago, SwampD said:

In the Levi thread someone (LGR?) said they are done with all three of our current goaltenders, but, are our coaches and GM? I don't think so and I don't think they should be.

I don't know much about goalie development timelines, but 6K3U is only 24 and that seams awfully early to give up on a guy who has shown flashes, and who seems like most of his issues are in his head.

I still have hope for him and think he is still the plan. Just wonder what other's thoughts are.

Miller was 25 when he took the reigns as the starter. Hasek was 27. I believe you are correct in most cases, there are sure to be those that did so earlier, but I believe most starters are 25 and beyond.

[matter2003]

12 minutes ago, Scottysabres said:

Miller was 25 when he took the reigns as the starter. Hasek was 27. I believe you are correct in most cases, there are sure to be those that did so earlier, but I believe most starters are 25 and beyond.

Carter Hart was either 18 or 19 when he started as was Tom Barrasso...not very many that can make that jump.  Hart also sucked really bad the next year or two after that and has never really blossomed into what they thought he was going to be...his best numbers he ever has posted were in his rookie year.

[Thorner]

I’m not sure if he’s in the Plan but the Plan clearly requires a known, apt quantity in goal next season: this isn’t UPL, so I’d imagine he can only be in the plan next season if one of the other goalie spots can afford to be filled by an inconsistent player of his nature

perhaps backup G can be argued 

1 hour ago, Marvin said:

Goalkeepers tend to not come into their own until they are 25.  UPL still has some development time.

Addendum: that means we need a reliable bridge to him and Levi.

Yep

Edited March 10, 2023 by Thorny

[Buffalonill]

Nope im over these ***** goalies. 

Be gone

[Quint]

For Buffalo's sake, I hope Levi is the second coming of Barasso, who started and did well on the Sabres right out of high school. 

[Taro T]

2 hours ago, Mustache of God said:

Unfortunately Comrie is signed through next year. At the beginning of the season I thought this year would be Comrie - Anderson and next year Comrie - UPL but I'm at the point now where I might puke if I have to type Comrie's name ever again. 

At this point he has zero trade value, so I'm not sure how we exclude him from the line-up? Do we waive him, buy him out? Buying him out over the summer would see us have a 600K cap hit in 23-24 and in 24-25, which seems reasonable. 

Given the nature of how goalies develop I think it would be short-sighted to move on from UPL, but we need a real, established goalie who isn't a piece of swiss cheese or the oldest player in the NHL.

 

 

Why do anything with Comrie?  Unless they make a trade for a goalie and the other team wants a backup as a piece of the return, don't do anything with him.  If he gets waived with the intention of sending him to Ra-cha-cha because they have brought in someone better to tandem (and ideally be the 1 on the tandem) then either they have cheap depth and really solid depth with presumably Levi and Comrie in Ra-cha-cha or if he gets claimed, oh well.

And if by some miracle he ends up looking the part of a true #1 in training camp, then figure out what to do with the new guy when we come to that bridge.

Edited March 10, 2023 by Taro T

[Zamboni]

UPL has definitely developed into more than “not going to amount to much”  as someone claimed. 

And as he develops he’ll be less than NHL starter material. I see a career NHL backup. Or solid AHL starter.

 

either way he’s making a comfortable living playing a sport.

Edited March 10, 2023 by Zamboni

[pi2000]

UPL needs to be playing games down in Roch... he's still young for a goaltender, way too early to give up on him completely.

Ride with Anderson and Comrie the rest of the way... playing Anderson as much as possible until he's completely broken down.   T

his is likely it for him, let him go out with guns blazing.

[Eleven]

Of course!  I'd rate him a 10 out of 10.

[In The Buff]

1 hour ago, Taro T said:

Why do anything with Comrie?  Unless they make a trade for a goalie and the other team wants a backup as a piece of the return, don't do anything with him.  If he gets waived with the intention of sending him to Ra-cha-cha because they have brought in someone better to tandem (and ideally be the 1 on the tandem) then either they have cheap depth and really solid depth with presumably Levi and Comrie in Ra-cha-cha or if he gets claimed, oh well.

And if by some miracle he ends up looking the part of a true #1 in training camp, then figure out what to do with the new guy when we come to that bridge.

exactly. You're surely not going to buy him out & take a loss. You limit his ice time & work out whats wrong with the intent he improves. Or you send him to the Roch.

We only do something wit Comrie if we bring in another goalie. Until that day happens he will be in our organization.

Edited March 10, 2023 by In The Buff

[Buffalonill]

4 hours ago, Hank said:

6K will be the 1A next year. 

[bob_sauve28]

I have a question. Since goalies are the most important position, why do we not use more lower draft picks on grabbing a few each year? Say picks 4-7 should be just goaltenders in the hope you find the right guy. 

Please no insults, just asking