UPL is NOT an NHL goaltender

[Big Guava]

2 hours ago, Porous Five Hole said:

Ok so you were serious.  
His salary is tied for 23rd highest among goalies and he’s only 25 years old.  
The Sabres defense and special teams suck.  

Other teams would get UPL right pretty quick.  
 

I hated the contract and I’m not defending his play.  I’m just saying it is a downright terrible idea to waive him.  

Having terrible positioning has nothing to do with defense. The first goal he is inexplicably cheating towards the pass when his D-man has it played perfectly leaving him just the shooter to worry about and he gets beat shortside which shouldn't ever happen in that spot...dude is broken. He is often in bad position and is allowing 1-2 goals a game that are simply not NHL level goals that should ever go in.

His career GAA is under .900 which is a joke for an NHL goalie and the only time he has shown to be good was when he had something to play for like making the NHL roster his first time getting called up and then last year playing for a contract.

Outside of that, he has sucked and sucked badly all too often. Seems like he gets comfortable and loses focus, doesn't put in the same effort and doesn't pay attention to details like he does when it counts.

So yeah, please have someone take him so we can stop wasting our time waiting for him to play well while being comfy with a guaranteed contract.

Edited Sunday at 03:04 AM by Big Guava

[Porous Five Hole]

26 minutes ago, Big Guava said:

Having terrible positioning has nothing to do with defense. The first goal he is inexplicably cheating towards the pass when his D-man has it played perfectly leaving him just the shooter to worry about and he gets beat shortside which shouldn't ever happen in that spot...dude is broken. He is often in bad position and is allowing 1-2 goals a game that are simply not NHL level goals that should ever go in.

His career GAA is under .900 which is a joke for an NHL goalie and the only time he has shown to be good was when he had something to play for like making the NHL roster his first time getting called up and then last year playing for a contract.

Outside of that, he has sucked and sucked badly all too often. Seems like he gets comfortable and loses focus, doesn't put in the same effort and doesn't pay attention to details like he does when it counts.

So yeah, please have someone take him so we can stop wasting our time waiting for him to play well while being comfy with a guaranteed contract.

Fine, let’s play it out as you want.  I’m not a UPL guy, so I can pick up what you’re putting down.  But the problem becomes what’s the plan if you give this guy away for nothing? Reimer is an old UFA and not the answer.  I’m a Levi truther, but I’m not ready to insert him as an everyday G1. 
 

So what do you do in net to make this team a playoff team next year?
Long story short, the Sabres have backed themselves into a corner where they need UPL to bounce back. You can rant and rave that Buffalo needs to move on from UPL, and I’ll agree with you. What’s your plan? Who are you signing to be G1 in 2025-26? Reasonable options please.

Or would you just prefer to yell and scream without a meaningful path forward? Please provide a rational plan or else I’ll just assume you are screaming into the wind. 

[Big Guava]

8 minutes ago, Porous Five Hole said:

Fine, let’s play it out as you want.  I’m not a UPL guy, so I can pick up what you’re putting down.  But the problem becomes what’s the plan if you give this guy away for nothing? Reimer is an old UFA and not the answer.  I’m a Levi truther, but I’m not ready to insert him as an everyday G1. 
 

So what do you do in net to make this team a playoff team next year?
Long story short, the Sabres have backed themselves into a corner where they need UPL to bounce back. You can rant and rave that Buffalo needs to move on from UPL, and I’ll agree with you. What’s your plan? Who are you signing to be G1 in 2025-26? Reasonable options please.

Or would you just prefer to yell and scream without a meaningful path forward? Please provide a rational plan or else I’ll just assume you are screaming into the wind. 

Whoever the goalie coach is needs to be gone yesterday. I'm not sure who the goalie coach was when we started the drought but the goalies all were pretty good for the first 4-5 years and I remember many of us thinking they were going to screw us out of the #1 pick from stopping too many pucks. Even random goalies that they picked up in trades to replace people they traded. Hire that guy back again if he is out there somewhere.

Honestly I'm not sure what they should do because Adams seems to have issues identifying quality goalies. None of the people he has brought in has done well here, except for Reimer in a small sample size and even then, his save percentage sucks too.

Eric Comrie was a disaster. Carter Hutton was a disaster.

Adams seems to not be able to identify what's important for goalies talent wise.

Edited Sunday at 03:49 AM by Big Guava

[Porous Five Hole]

1 minute ago, Big Guava said:

Whoever the goalie coach is needs to be gone yesterday. I'm not sure who the goalie coach was when we started the drought but they all were pretty good for the first 4-5 years and I remember many of us thinking they were going to screw us out of the #1 pick from stopping too many pucks. Hire that guy back again if he is out there somewhere.

Honestly I'm not sure what they should do because Adams seems to have issues identifying quality goalies. None of the people he has brought in has done well here, except for Reimer in a small sample size and even then, his save percentage sucks too.

 

So your plan is to give away UPL for free and not replace him.  Got it.  At least I know not to quote you or reply to you as a logical conversation person. But we agree, UPL sucks. 

[oddoublee]

Yikes. Upl is a bit broken. Say what you will about lindys system....but good goaltenders can manage it. Upl cannot. If anything, lindys system is a great way to identify goalie incompetence. I rooted for upl....but he is not an answer. He's a time killer until someone else is ready. 

[SABRES 0311]

Not going to be able to get a number one goalie, top four dman, and top six forward in one summer with KA. We’re screwed next year.

[SabreFinn]

Canucks might want to trade Demko, not sure if they want Luukkonen with the contract he has?

Tristan Jerry anyone? Lol

[Big Guava]

10 hours ago, Porous Five Hole said:

So your plan is to give away UPL for free and not replace him.  Got it.  At least I know not to quote you or reply to you as a logical conversation person. But we agree, UPL sucks. 

Not saying to give him away, get what you can for him and get out of the contract that even as it might be reasonable for a starting goalie in the NHL is a big overpayment for a player who is not a starting goalie in the NHL.

I mean a player with a career .898 save percentage in this day and age should not be a starting goalie in the NHL. It's hard to be that low when your save percentage last year was .910 in a season where you played 54 games, which means he has sucked much worse the rest of the time he has played.

He leads the NHL in Goals allowed and out of goalies with 20+ games played he ranks 50th out of 56 in save percentage with an abysmal .885.

In short, he sucks, so I am not sure what your argument is for keeping him is.

And about not replacing him...they could bring in Michael Houser and get this level of goaltending most nights. If that's what you are getting anyway, why pay 5x the price?

Stop deluding yourself into thinking UPL is going to be anything other than a disappointment. Just pay a vet minimum contract and you'll get the same level of goaltending...I mean Reimer has been outplaying him and it hasn't really been close.

Edited Sunday at 02:21 PM by Big Guava

[LGR4GM]

Quote

Among goalies with at least 20 games played this season, Luukkonen is 48th in goals saved above expected, according to MoneyPuck.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6243260/2025/03/30/sabres-jack-quinn-goalies-krebs-capitals/?source=emp_shared_article

[Big Guava]

7 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6243260/2025/03/30/sabres-jack-quinn-goalies-krebs-capitals/?source=emp_shared_article

Yes he has been terrible in virtually every way possible this year.

[CallawaySabres]

Just add one more absolutely AWFUL contract to Adams failures. 4 more years at 4,750,000 per year. I don't even want this guy as a backup, so how in the world can they trade him? Are they allowed to pay him that to play in Rochester? 

I am guessing that Levi is the starter in Rochester next year in hopes that he can make the team eventually. Ideally, they trade for a true #1 and have Reimer/Levi as a backup. 

I don't see anything on the free agent list so there absolutely HAS to be a trade for a true #1. Buffalo has the prospects and draft position to make this happen. What team has a legit #1 that is still a couple years away from making the playoffs?

[bob_sauve28]

UPL has been awful, no doubt. Hopefully its just that the long season took a toll on him and a little rest, retooling and a fresh start sees him ready to do well as a 35-40 game goalie with Levi ready to platoon. Not sure what other options there are. Goalies don't grow on trees. Its easy to say "go out and get a goalie," but super hard to find. Washington seems to have gotten lucky in finding two of them maybe we find one that someone else is throwing away. 

If they sign Reimer again, are we going with the three headed monster again next year? 

[dudacek]

Goaltending is so weird. 

As much of a weak link as he's been this season, he was a strong point last year.

It's like after the elite guys, you never know what you're going to get from the next tier. I mean look at Blackwood and Gustafsson and Swayman and Saros.

True #1s — such as they exist — don't get traded.

[Drag0nDan]

31 minutes ago, CallawaySabres said:

Just add one more absolutely AWFUL contract to Adams failures. 4 more years at 4,750,000 per year. I don't even want this guy as a backup, so how in the world can they trade him? Are they allowed to pay him that to play in Rochester? 

I am guessing that Levi is the starter in Rochester next year in hopes that he can make the team eventually. Ideally, they trade for a true #1 and have Reimer/Levi as a backup. 

I don't see anything on the free agent list so there absolutely HAS to be a trade for a true #1. Buffalo has the prospects and draft position to make this happen. What team has a legit #1 that is still a couple years away from making the playoffs?

No one.  Factoring in trade clauses, its less than no one.  They are either a legit #1 and the team is in it, or they probably just re-upped.  Oettinger, Hill, Saros, Vejmelka, Swayman, Blackwood, Thompson/Lindgren, and Daccord all extended.  I can't see any of those teams wanting to swap contracts for UPL - even with solid sweeteners in there. 

I'm not sure there's anyone even available that's worth trading for.  I think the entire list is just Demko, but he's on an expiring deal and has been battling injuries all season since the playoffs a year ago.  I'm not saying he's washed, i just doubt he'd re-up here.  

They will need to get lucky in free agency, hope UPL plays considerably better, or Levi wins the crease by playing well.  

Edited 6 hours ago by Drag0nDan

[matter2003]

5 hours ago, bob_sauve28 said:

UPL has been awful, no doubt. Hopefully its just that the long season took a toll on him and a little rest, retooling and a fresh start sees him ready to do well as a 35-40 game goalie with Levi ready to platoon. Not sure what other options there are. Goalies don't grow on trees. Its easy to say "go out and get a goalie," but super hard to find. Washington seems to have gotten lucky in finding two of them maybe we find one that someone else is throwing away. 

If they sign Reimer again, are we going with the three headed monster again next year? 

The only times UPL has played well was when he had something on the line...his rookie year when he was trying to make the Sabres and in his contract year. Other than that, he has been bad.  Unfocused, undisciplined, out of position, not driven to push himself but needs something else to push him.  Not what you want out of an athlete. 

[bob_sauve28]

4 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

The only times UPL has played well was when he had something on the line...his rookie year when he was trying to make the Sabres and in his contract year. Other than that, he has been bad.  Unfocused, undisciplined, out of position, not driven to push himself but needs something else to push him.  Not what you want out of an athlete. 

Maybe competition from Levi will do the trick, I dunno. 

 

[matter2003]

3 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

Maybe competition from Levi will do the trick, I dunno. 

 

Levi has been worse than UPL numbers wise, so he needs to up his game first before he can provide that

[quill]

If UPL was 22 or 23 years old, I'd say he would just need more time to develop before ruling him out, but he's 26 and at this point it looks like he's done about as much developing as he's going to do. He just doesn't have any consistency, nor does it look like he has enough hockey smarts. He is simply unreliable.