Amerks 24/25 - Young Talented Roster

[GASabresIUFAN]

Fascinating discussion on Benson and McLeod, but this is an Amerks thread.

[LGR4GM]

3 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Fascinating discussion on Benson and McLeod, but this is an Amerks thread.

Zach Benson would be the 3 youngest Amerk if he were put on their Roster. 

[mjd1001]

12 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

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?

If they are going to move on from Adams, I think they need to move on from most, if not all, of the current staff.

Let the new GM come in, interview all of them and if he wants them, he can keep them, but no understanding of keeping them around for continuity or any other garbage other than that.  

As far as drafting, free agents, trades...I beleive that most of these guys have input. The players we have are a result of all of them. If anything, it may not be true but I can make a case the scouting dept and analytics dept. does more of the 'leg work' on selecting players, and Adams just makes the 'final' decision or is the guy that pulls the trigger.  If Adams goes, I want most, if not all of them to go also.

Edited Thursday at 05:15 PM by mjd1001

[GASabresIUFAN]

34 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Zach Benson would be the 3 youngest Amerk if he were put on their Roster. 

But he isn’t an Amerk and has never been an Amerk.  
 

Speaking of the Amerks, will Adams/Karmanos make any deadline deals to strengthen the Amerks for the playoffs?

 

[Brawndo]

 

[EM88]

On 3/5/2025 at 10:44 AM, matter2003 said:

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.

Juggernaut to me means elite team. Like best team in a decade in the league. As in the marvel character, a juggernaut is something that is almost unstoppable that crushes anything or anyone that gets in its way.   The Amerks are good. Juggernaut good? Not yet.

[PromoTheRobot]

4 hours ago, EM88 said:

Juggernaut to me means elite team. Like best team in a decade in the league. As in the marvel character, a juggernaut is something that is almost unstoppable that crushes anything or anyone that gets in its way.   The Amerks are good. Juggernaut good? Not yet.

Most wins and fewest losses isn't "almost unstoppable?" What's being 2nd best? A lost year?

Edited Thursday at 11:13 PM by PromoTheRobot

[GASabresIUFAN]

I was looking at Quanthockey to see where Helenius’ season is historically by an 18 year old in the A.  As of today his 26 points in 48 games stands 16th.  Not bad, with plenty of additional games to move up the list.  The player 2nd on the list is our friend Jiri Kulich with 46 pts in 62 games.  His 24 goals were also second.

The guy at the top of the list is Josef Cierny.  Name familiar?  The former Sabres draft pick accomplished his 27g  54 pt season for the Amerks.

https://www.quanthockey.com/ahl/en/player-age/18-year-old-ahl-players.html

[mjd1001]

44 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Most wins and fewest losses isn't "almost unstoppable?" What's being 2nd best? A lost year?

No, most wins and fewest losses does't mean 'almost unstoppable'.

First of all, they currently do not have the most wins. The Amerks  have 34. Laval has 35 and they have done that in one less game.

Next, they do not have the least number of losses. The Amerks have 20 losses. Laval has only 18.

Want to take into consider overtime and shootout losses? Well they do not have the best point percentage. They are behind Laval there also.

 When your overall season literally average out to win 2 games, lose 1 game, that is very good but not almost unstoppable.

When their average game has them outscoring the other team by 0.8 goals per game, that is very good but not almost unstoppable.

What would I classify as a Juggernaut, 'nearly ustoppable?' Its been done before and this Amerks team, as good as they are, are no where close to it. 

They aren't even the best team in the AHL this year (still behind Laval in terms of points/winning percentage)

So what is a Juggernaut in Hockey?  Just looking at the NHL, not even the AHL:

-The 2022-23 Boston Bruins.  65w-17L. Outscored their opponent by 1.56 goals per game.

-2018-2019 Tampa Lighting.  62w-20L. Outscored opponents by 1.25 goals per game.

-2012-2013 Blackhawks. 36W-12L in shortened season. Outscored opponents by 1.1 goals per game.

-1995-96 Red Wings. 62-20.  Outscored opponents by 1.76 goals per game.

The Amerks are good, very good, but to say they are nearly unstoppable is a big reach.

 

Edited Thursday at 11:57 PM by mjd1001

[Big Guava]

23 hours 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.

Sorry but UPL allows for too many disgraceful goals that have no business going in against NHL goalies, let alone happening almost every night 

Edited Friday at 03:09 AM by Big Guava

[Archie Lee]

1 hour ago, Big Guava said:

Sorry but UPL allows for too many disgraceful goals that have no business going in against NHL goalies, let alone happening almost every night 

Two things can be right at the same time. Ruff’s system can be hard on goalies and UPL can be having a bad year. The combo is resulting in some awful #’s. 

[matter2003]

9 hours ago, Archie Lee said:

Two things can be right at the same time. Ruff’s system can be hard on goalies and UPL can be having a bad year. The combo is resulting in some awful #’s. 

Ruff wasn't here when UPL posted a .892 save percentage 2 years ago, very similar to the .890 he has this year. In fact, it's more likely THIS is who UPL actually is and last year was an anomaly in a contract year(surprise, surprise...never seen this before in sports, have we?) based on his overall career.  His average is a .900 save percentage in his career. That's putrid.

Edited Friday at 01:36 PM by matter2003

[Archie Lee]

14 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

Ruff wasn't here when UPL posted a .892 save percentage 2 years ago, very similar to the .890 he has this year. In fact, it's more likely THIS is who UPL actually is and last year was an anomaly in a contract year(surprise, surprise...never seen this before in sports, have we?) based on his overall career.  His average is a .900 save percentage in his career. That's putrid.

Fair enough, maybe UPL is just awful.  I would like to see him play for a good coach, in a good structure, with veteran support through the line-up.  That won't happen here anytime soon.  

Ruff is objectively awful for goalies.  Lehtonen, Niemi, Blackwood, Vanecek, and now UPL, all saw their save %'s implode under Ruff.  The idea of Lindy Ruff bringing a sound defensive structure to an NHL team, was and is an absolute sham.

[matter2003]

Just now, Archie Lee said:

Fair enough, maybe UPL is just awful.  I would like to see him play for a good coach, in a good structure, with veteran support through the line-up.  That won't happen here anytime soon.  

Ruff is objectively awful for goalies.  Lehtonen, Niemi, Blackwood, Vanecek, and now UPL, all saw their save %'s implode under Ruff.  The idea of Lindy Ruff bringing a sound defensive structure to an NHL team, was and is an absolute sham.

We can make all the excuses we want but let's look at some of the other goalies we had here during this 14 years of terribleness.

Of the goalies who played 25+ games:

 

• Anders Nilsson posted a .923 save percentage
• Michael Neuvirth posted a .921 save percentage
• Robyn Lehner posted a .916 save percentage
• Linus Ullmark posted a .912 save percentage
• Chad Johnson posted a .907 save percentage
• Carter Hutton posted a .902 save percentage
• Craig Anderson posted a .902 save percentage
• Dustin Tokarski posted a .901 save percentage
• UPL posted a .900 save percentage
• Levi posted a .894 save percentage
• Comrie posted a .882 save percentage

 

I would argue whoever the goalie coach has been needs to be canned ASAP and they need to bring back whoever was here during the earlier years(Irbe?) because the goalies performed really well.

 

 

 

[Porous Five Hole]

The Amerks are back at it tonight and tomorrow, both at Laval. These are the two best teams in the AHL so a good test.
 

If you have time on your hands this weekend, tomorrow’s game at 3pm is free on Flo as the AHL game of the week.

flosports.link/3z2dqGd

 

[pastajoe]

After having a 2 goal lead, the Amerks with Levi in net gave up 3 goals within 2 1/2 minutes in the 3rd to lose 4-3. 🙄

[Bangarang]

2 hours ago, pastajoe said:

After having a 2 goal lead, the Amerks with Levi in net gave up 3 goals within 2 1/2 minutes in the 3rd to lose 4-3. 🙄

Amerks learning to play Sabres style hockey? 

[pastajoe]

Amerks game at Laval free on YouTube now.

[pastajoe]

Unbelievable, after last night’s collapse today the Amerks give up the game winner with 40 seconds left in the 3rd. 4 Amerks went to the corner and left the Laval player all alone in front of Levi. 🙄