Amerks 24/25 - Young Talented Roster

[Crusader1969]

IF Levi wins the Calder and plays exceptionally well during their playoff run

Could you then give him the first shot to take the #1 goalie spot next season?

it's not like he would be taking the net away from Ken Dryden or Hasek.  UPL has been avg at best 

[Big Guava]

4 minutes ago, Crusader1969 said:

IF Levi wins the Calder and plays exceptionally well during their playoff run

Could you then give him the first shot to take the #1 goalie spot next season?

it's not like he would be taking the net away from Ken Dryden or Hasek.  UPL has been avg at best 

 

UPL has regressed badly this year and is not good more often than good.

[matter2003]

On 3/1/2025 at 8:19 AM, EM88 said:

1.) The talent level of the Rochester's young guys is high compared to a lot of the AHL, and they have a better mix of young guys and veterans than the Sabres do.

2.) If a young guy down there isn't playing well like we heard about Kisakov, he sits. They do not have a high profile player like Dylan Cozens who sinks the entire team but keeps on playing.

3.) You mentioned the play of Levi.  In hockey, take a 'good' overall team and give them great goaltending play for a 20-30 game stretch and you will likely see them climb the standings rapidly.

3.) They have not been what I would call a juggernaut.  The have been good but up until recently they were middle-of-the pack in their division. And as far as their recent history, last year they were 4th in the conference, lost in the 2nd round of the playoffs, and had a negative goal differential. We would take that for the Sabres, but not what I would call stellar for last season.

They are a juggernaut as of right now...lead the AHL in points, tied for most wins, fewest losses, scored the most goals and have the highest goal differential at +43. Not sure what else you would need to see to term them a juggernaut, they are the best team in the AHL.

Edited Wednesday at 03:45 PM by matter2003

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 hour ago, matter2003 said:

Not sure what else you would need to see to term them a juggernaut, they are the best team in the AHL.

Maybe Karmanos should be the GM for the Sabres as well.

[matter2003]

3 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Maybe Karmanos should be the GM for the Sabres as well.

Yeah, switch roles with him and Adams 😂

[Archie Lee]

On 3/2/2025 at 5:38 PM, Big Guava said:

 

UPL has regressed badly this year and is not good more often than good.

You can't overlook or overestimate the negative impact that Lindy Ruff has on goalies.  Since Ruff left Buffalo the first time, every high-profile goalie that has played for him as a Head Coach, has seen their save % tank by year two, if not year one.  Lehtonen, Niemi, Blackwood, Vanicek, and now UPL.  You could put Levi in that category too I guess, as his #'s are way down as a Sabre this year.  Lindy Ruff is not a good NHL coach at this stage of his career.

[Big Guava]

8 hours ago, Archie Lee said:

You can't overlook or overestimate the negative impact that Lindy Ruff has on goalies.  Since Ruff left Buffalo the first time, every high-profile goalie that has played for him as a Head Coach, has seen their save % tank by year two, if not year one.  Lehtonen, Niemi, Blackwood, Vanicek, and now UPL.  You could put Levi in that category too I guess, as his #'s are way down as a Sabre this year.  Lindy Ruff is not a good NHL coach at this stage of his career.

Got it...so Ruff is responsible for UPL allowing 2 AHL goals a game 

[PromoTheRobot]

10 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Maybe Karmanos should be the GM for the Sabres as well.

Weren't all those Amerks players either drafted or signed by Adams?

[PromoTheRobot]

On 3/2/2025 at 6:38 PM, Big Guava said:

 

UPL has regressed badly this year and is not good more often than good.

What regressed is the defense in front of UPL. A goalie can only stand on his head so long before he feels like WTF is the point? I've never seen a team play worse defense.

[PromoTheRobot]

27 minutes ago, Big Guava said:

Got it...so Ruff is responsible for UPL allowing 2 AHL goals a game 

How are the Sabres playing on D? How many dumb penalties do they take? Yeah, I think there is some blame for Lindy if he allows his guys to be that stupid.

[LGR4GM]

7 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

What regressed is the defense in front of UPL. A goalie can only stand on his head so long before he feels like WTF is the point? I've never seen a team play worse defense.

No, his xgf is down too. He's letting in shots last year he stopped. 

11 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Weren't all those Amerks players either drafted or signed by Adams?

Karmanos was also on the staff and no, Karmanos has signed several Amerks as the GM of Rochester. 

[Archie Lee]

2 hours ago, Big Guava said:

Got it...so Ruff is responsible for UPL allowing 2 AHL goals a game 

No. UPL needs to be better. Ruff isn’t at fault for UPL letting in bad goals. He is though, a coach whose system appears to be hard on goalies. I could be wrong. What’s your explanation for all of these goalies having their games collapse under Ruff?  Coincidence?  

[mjd1001]

On 3/2/2025 at 6:34 PM, Crusader1969 said:

IF Levi wins the Calder and plays exceptionally well during their playoff run

Could you then give him the first shot to take the #1 goalie spot next season?

it's not like he would be taking the net away from Ken Dryden or Hasek.  UPL has been avg at best 

I think they all have a 'shot' next season. 

Between camp and preseason and scrimmages, if Levi outperforms UPL I think he is the starter, if UPL outperforms Levi, I think he is the starter.

Maybe, MAYBE the coaches will lean toward the incumbent when camp starts, but it will depend on camp.

[JohnC]

20 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Maybe Karmanos should be the GM for the Sabres as well.

I don't know if you made your comment in jest or not. But what I can say is that if the silent and obtuse owner would have selected Karmanos to be the GM instead of making the weird hiring of the ill-equipped person he did hire, it would have made more sense. It's obvious to all that the KA hiring was due to his plan to cut costs by starting over in accordance with the owner's desire to cut expenditures. Five years later, the predictable outcome is realized with this farcical franchise anchored to the bottom of the heap. It's an embarrassing and a disgrace. The best thing that the owner can do to revitalize this moribund franchise is to sell. I've had enough of this billionaire fool!

[LGR4GM]

41 minutes ago, JohnC said:

I don't know if you made your comment in jest or not. But what I can say is that if the silent and obtuse owner would have selected Karmanos to be the GM instead of making the weird hiring of the ill-equipped person he did hire, it would have made more sense. It's obvious to all that the KA hiring was due to his plan to cut costs by starting over in accordance with the owner's desire to cut expenditures. Five years later, the predictable outcome is realized with this farcical franchise anchored to the bottom of the heap. It's an embarrassing and a disgrace. The best thing that the owner can do to revitalize this moribund franchise is to sell. I've had enough of this billionaire fool!

Adams brought in Karmanos. Moving Adams to POHO (aka Terry's reporter in the room) and putting Karmanos in charge with Ventura as AGM and Forton as unemployed would be a good start towards fixing this dumpster fire but it isn't happening. I think Forton is closer to GM than Karmanos. 

[MISabresFan]

1 hour ago, mjd1001 said:

I think they all have a 'shot' next season. 

Between camp and preseason and scrimmages, if Levi outperforms UPL I think he is the starter, if UPL outperforms Levi, I think he is the starter.

Maybe, MAYBE the coaches will lean toward the incumbent when camp starts, but it will depend on camp.

It never depends on camp with this org, decisions are made by contract.  If camp decided who stays half of the team wouldn't be on the roster.

[dudacek]

36 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Adams brought in Karmanos. Moving Adams to POHO (aka Terry's reporter in the room) and putting Karmanos in charge with Ventura as AGM and Forton as unemployed would be a good start towards fixing this dumpster fire but it isn't happening. I think Forton is closer to GM than Karmanos. 

Not saying you're wrong, but I always wonder how people develop strong opinions about the guys on the inside.

We heard the analytics department was surprised by the Leinonen pick, but not who pushed the pick and why. We hear Karmanos is in charge of the Amerks and was a consideration for the Canucks GM job. We heard Forton wanted McAvoy over Nylander and watched him gush over how Adams makes sure everyone is heard. We've been told how well-respected Ventura was when he was hired, and noticed how his voice is never, ever heard in those proprietary behind-the-scenes videos.

Such little information to go on.

What specifically has Forton done to be fired? Or Ventura to be promoted?

I have no idea what ideas either has been feeding Adams. Or what direction Adams may be giving leading either astray.

Karmanos is the associate GM, so, by definition, he is the number 2 guy in the hockey department.

Why have you come to these conclusions?

[MISabresFan]

18 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Not saying you're wrong, but I always wonder how people develop strong opinions about the guys on the inside.

We heard the analytics department was surprised by the Leinonen pick, but not who pushed the pick and why. We hear Karmanos is in charge of the Amerks and was a consideration for the Canucks GM job. We heard Forton wanted McAvoy over Nylander and watched him gush over how Adams makes sure everyone is heard. We've been told how well-respected Ventura was when he was hired, and noticed how his voice is never, ever heard in those proprietary behind-the-scenes videos.

Such little information to go on.

What specifically has Forton done to be fired? Or Ventura to be promoted?

I have no idea what ideas either has been feeding Adams. Or what direction Adams may be giving leading either astray.

Karmanos is the associate GM, so, by definition, he is the number 2 guy in the hockey department.

Why have you come to these conclusions?

I cant react on hearsay or speculation of who thought what, I am not there or inside the organization.  As a fan, all I can see is what is happeinging in the last 13 years plus.  Obviously the system is broke and needs something more than super glue to fix.

[MISabresFan]

22 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Not saying you're wrong, but I always wonder how people develop strong opinions about the guys on the inside.

We heard the analytics department was surprised by the Leinonen pick, but not who pushed the pick and why. We hear Karmanos is in charge of the Amerks and was a consideration for the Canucks GM job. We heard Forton wanted McAvoy over Nylander and watched him gush over how Adams makes sure everyone is heard. We've been told how well-respected Ventura was when he was hired, and noticed how his voice is never, ever heard in those proprietary behind-the-scenes videos.

Such little information to go on.

What specifically has Forton done to be fired? Or Ventura to be promoted?

I have no idea what ideas either has been feeding Adams. Or what direction Adams may be giving leading either astray.

Karmanos is the associate GM, so, by definition, he is the number 2 guy in the hockey department.

Why have you come to these conclusions?

Has the team made the playoffs while they have been there?  Who is grooming them? lol ...

[dudacek]

20 minutes ago, MISabresFan said:

Has the team made the playoffs while they have been there?  Who is grooming them? lol ...

Did I come across as defending them? That wasn't my intent at all.

The Sabres braintrust has clearly done a bad job as a whole.

@LGR4GM offered some strong opinions on its individual components, positive and negative, and I am curious as to what fed those views.

[LGR4GM]

52 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Not saying you're wrong, but I always wonder how people develop strong opinions about the guys on the inside.

We heard the analytics department was surprised by the Leinonen pick, but not who pushed the pick and why. We hear Karmanos is in charge of the Amerks and was a consideration for the Canucks GM job. We heard Forton wanted McAvoy over Nylander and watched him gush over how Adams makes sure everyone is heard. We've been told how well-respected Ventura was when he was hired, and noticed how his voice is never, ever heard in those proprietary behind-the-scenes videos.

Such little information to go on.

What specifically has Forton done to be fired? Or Ventura to be promoted?

I have no idea what ideas either has been feeding Adams. Or what direction Adams may be giving leading either astray.

Karmanos is the associate GM, so, by definition, he is the number 2 guy in the hockey department.

Why have you come to these conclusions?

Forton is Terry's bro in law and Forton drafted Leinonen and Forton wanted someone other than Benson until analytics convinced them on Benny boy. 

Ventura has been in quite a few of those videos. 

Analytics is why we have McLeod.

[dudacek]

21 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Forton is Terry's bro in law and Forton drafted Leinonen and Forton wanted someone other than Benson until analytics convinced them on Benny boy. 

Ventura has been in quite a few of those videos. 

Analytics is why we have McLeod.

Thanks for the reply.

I'm reasonably confident Forton ranked Leinonen as the best goalie in the draft. I haven't seen anything to support the idea that Forton pushed hard and convinced Adams to take him over the advice of the rest of the staff. My personal theory is that Adams was highly aware that the Sabres had taken just 2 goalies in the previous 7 drafts. Ullmark had just jilted him. Lukkonnen had bad hips, and Portillo was poised to walk. He had a gaping hole in his goalie pipeline and more high picks than he could use. He was the one who made up his mind he was using a high pick on a goalie. Forton just told him this guy's probably the best one available. I have no proof of this either.

I have never seen or read anything on the Benson stuff. Would appreciate it if you could share the source material.

Ventura appears in many of those videos. He rarely if ever talks. It's been highly noticeable to me. I've always chalked it up to the Sabres jealously guarding their analytics as proprietary.

Can you expand on the McLeod stuff? Do you have more than "McLeod's public fancystats were good, so I'm giving the analytics department sole credit here." His acquisition also made sense from a contract standpoint, a traditional scouting standpoint and a development standpoint.

Edited Thursday at 04:37 PM by dudacek

[Archie Lee]

19 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Forton is Terry's bro in law and Forton drafted Leinonen and Forton wanted someone other than Benson until analytics convinced them on Benny boy. 

Ventura has been in quite a few of those videos. 

Analytics is why we have McLeod.

Also not saying you are wrong, but I take it you have inside sources on the Leinonen, Benson, McLeod things?  Who was Forton’s choice instead of Benson?  

[dudacek]

7 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

Also not saying you are wrong, but I take it you have inside sources on the Leinonen, Benson, McLeod things?  Who was Forton’s choice instead of Benson?  

Further to the Benson bit, I am absolutely aware those videos show us what they want us to see, but there was a ton of tape of our Western scout, Lukas Sutter, slamming the table hard for Benson. I can absolutely accept the analytics department clinching the pick, but they weren't alone.

Further to that, as much as I love Benson, do we know he was the right pick?

(Yes, Jack Quinn has me really questioning my judgement 😁)

[LGR4GM]

30 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Thanks for the reply.

I'm reasonably confident Forton ranked Leinonen as the best goalie in the draft. I haven't seen anything to support the idea that Forton pushed hard and convinced Adams to take him over the advice of the rest of the staff. My personal theory is that Adams was highly aware that the Sabres had taken just 2 goalies in the previous 7 drafts. Ullmark had just jilted him. Lukkonnen had bad hips, and Portillo was poised to walk. He had a gaping hole in his goalie pipeline and more high picks than he could use. He was the one who made up his mind he was using a high pick on a goalie. Forton just told him this guy's probably the best one available. I have no proof of this either.

I have never seen or read anything on the Benson stuff. Would appreciate it if you could share the source material.

Ventura appears in many of those videos. He rarely if ever talks. It's been highly noticeable to me. I've always chalked it up to the Sabres jealously guarding their analytics as proprietary.

Can you expand on the McLeod stuff? Do you have more than "McLeod's public fancystats were good, so I'm giving the analytics department sole credit here." His acquisition also made sense from a contract standpoint, a traditional scouting standpoint and a development standpoint.

I decline to do your research for you. Go back and watch the videos and go back and read the stories. Sorry if that reply seems short or rude but Forton wanted Leinonen. Analytics wanted Benson. There's no way in hell anyone other than Analytics drove the bus on McLeod. 

If Jerry Forton is so ***** awesome how come this team has drafted so ***** mediocre so mofo often with him around?

Edited Thursday at 05:08 PM by LGR4GM