Sabres assign Goaltender Scott Ratzlaff to Rochester

[Brawndo]

 

[LGR4GM]

They are going to run Ratzlaff and Leinonen in Rochester next season and put Levi in Buffalo to fight it out with UPL. 

Edited Monday at 02:31 PM by LGR4GM

[dudacek]

14 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

They are going to run Ratzlaff and Leinonen in Rochester next season and put Levi in Buffalo to fight it out with UPL. 

Fingers crossed you're wrong, specifically about Rochester.

I think I'd be finding a Div. 1 team in Europe for Leinonen to reinforce his game, while Ratzlaff finds his way in Rochester or Jacksonville, supporting a more veteran goalie (Levi or another).

Going into next year with Leinonen and Ratzlaff as your 3/4 would be derelict, even by Adams' standards.

Edited Monday at 02:45 PM by dudacek

[matter2003]

14 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

They are going to run Ratzlaff and Leinonen in Rochester next season and put Levi in Buffalo to fight it out with UPL. 

Levi has absolutely sucked in the NHL outside his rookie year and gotten worse each of the 3 years...not a comforting thought.

[JoeSchmoe]

With NCAA as an option for CHL players, I would have told him to find a college team to play on for a year.

[HOUSE]

This is huge 

[Drag0nDan]

Just now, matter2003 said:

Levi has absolutely sucked in the NHL outside his rookie year and gotten worse each of the 3 years...not a comforting thought.

He started 8 games this year... if you look at goalies with 10 or fewer games they mostly are either fluctuating in one direction or another.  

[matter2003]

27 minutes ago, Drag0nDan said:

He started 8 games this year... if you look at goalies with 10 or fewer games they mostly are either fluctuating in one direction or another.  

when you post an .872 save percentage and a 4.12 GAA I would hope that's all he got. You need to earn your playing time when you are coming up from the AHL and you didn't perform well the season before.  He performed worse. Much worse.

Edited Monday at 03:22 PM by matter2003

[LGR4GM]

33 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Fingers crossed you're wrong, specifically about Rochester.

I think I'd be finding a Div. 1 team in Europe for Leinonen to reinforce his game, while Ratzlaff finds his way in Rochester or Jacksonville, supporting a more veteran goalie (Levi or another).

Going into next year with Leinonen and Ratzlaff as your 3/4 would be derelict, even by Adams' standards.

They signed Leinonen to an ELC. I just doubt they send him back to Europe after that. 

33 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

Levi has absolutely sucked in the NHL outside his rookie year and gotten worse each of the 3 years...not a comforting thought.

Not saying I like it, I am saying what I think Adams will do. Adams is convinced he knows best and is right.

[xzy89c1]

47 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

They are going to run Ratzlaff and Leinonen in Rochester next season and put Levi in Buffalo to fight it out with UPL. 

That is fast track to season 15 of no playoffs. UPL is too inconsistent, and Levi is proving to be a good AHL goalie and a backup in NHL. We need an NHL caliber goalie signed or traded for. Someone who can play 40 or 50 games. 

[dudacek]

1 minute ago, LGR4GM said:

They signed Leinonen to an ELC. I just doubt they send him back to Europe after that. 

 

Adams track record has been to get his Euro guys here, so you're probably right.

But we have seen them sign guys and leave them there as recently as Östlund.

[GoPuckYourself]

54 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

They are going to run Ratzlaff and Leinonen in Rochester next season and put Levi in Buffalo to fight it out with UPL. 

That worked out well last time.

[Drag0nDan]

13 minutes ago, xzy89c1 said:

That is fast track to season 15 of no playoffs. UPL is too inconsistent, and Levi is proving to be a good AHL goalie and a backup in NHL. We need an NHL caliber goalie signed or traded for. Someone who can play 40 or 50 games. 

There aren't any available, unless you had one in mind.  The list is basically Demko, and anyone else has some level of clause.  I'm sure they'd be interested in sending him to the East, and he was very good in 2023 - but other teams also have goalie needs so that'll drive the price up considerably when you factor in the market

Hill extended in Vegas.  Thompson and Lindgren were extended in Washington.  Blackwood in Colorado.  Shesterkin in NY.  Oettinger in Dallas.  Ullmark in Ottawa.  Daccord in Seattle.  Swayman in Boston.  Lankinen in Vancouver.  Saros in Nashville.  Woll in Toronto.  

Edited Monday at 03:49 PM by Drag0nDan

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

They are going to run Ratzlaff and Leinonen in Rochester next season and put Levi in Buffalo to fight it out with UPL. 

I laughed at this, and then realized it is probably true.  

 

Edited Monday at 03:39 PM by Pimlach

[inkman]

Whatever.  Fans need to stop supporting this poverty franchise.  Don’t go to games.  Don’t but their merch.  Time to start showing how everyone feels about this team. 

[DarthEbriate]

25 minutes ago, inkman said:

Whatever.  Fans need to stop supporting this poverty franchise.  Don’t go to games.  Don’t but their merch.  Time to start showing how everyone feels about this team. 

This reminds me, I do need a new Sabres t-shirt. My retro logo shirt purchased near the slug era has faded to near oblivion and has since re-become the actual logo.

 

The ideal layout next year is:
NHL: UPL (or traded for legit 1A) + veteran 1B (Allen, Lyon, Vanecek, Reimer)
AHL: Levi + Ratzlaff/AHL backup  --> Levi might become the Sabres 1B by midseason
ECHL: Houser + Ratzlaff/ECHL backup
Europe: Find a SHL team for Leinonen because so far he's only shown to be competent in Allsvenskan

Sort of like they had planned for this season.

[Brawndo]

2 hours ago, JoeSchmoe said:

With NCAA as an option for CHL players, I would have told him to find a college team to play on for a year.

He signed an ELC with the Sabres, he’s ineligible for NCAA as a result 

[JoeSchmoe]

1 hour ago, Brawndo said:

He signed an ELC with the Sabres, he’s ineligible for NCAA as a result 

What benefit would there be in the Sabres offering him a contract? Can he walk if he plays out his junior without being signed?

[St. Pete Gogolak]

Is Nashville going to tear it down?  What would it take to obtain Soros?

[Brawndo]

2 hours ago, JoeSchmoe said:

What benefit would there be in the Sabres offering him a contract? Can he walk if he plays out his junior without being signed?

Yes he would have been eligible to re-enter the draft in June if they didn’t sign him. He signed his ELC on October 18th. 

[Brawndo]

2 hours ago, St. Pete Gogolak said:

Is Nashville going to tear it down?  What would it take to obtain Soros?

2025 1st, Rosen, UPL and probably Helenius or Östlund maybe 

[dudacek]

3 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

2025 1st, Rosen, UPL and probably Helenius or Östlund maybe 

So no chance in hell.

[shrader]

2 hours ago, St. Pete Gogolak said:

Is Nashville going to tear it down?  What would it take to obtain Soros?

I can’t picture them ever moving him after they shipped Askarov out. 

[Brawndo]

5 minutes ago, dudacek said:

So no chance in hell.

Pretty much 

[PromoTheRobot]

10 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

They are going to run Ratzlaff and Leinonen in Rochester next season and put Levi in Buffalo to fight it out with UPL. 

Or....Ratzlaff becomes Levi's backup instead of Sandstrom. 

6 hours ago, St. Pete Gogolak said:

Is Nashville going to tear it down?  What would it take to obtain Soros?

They would only trade him if they felt Soros was on the downward end of things. Teams don't get rid of elite goalies. Then there's the NMC thingie. Any bets if Buffalo is on his list?

Edited yesterday at 01:06 AM by PromoTheRobot