kas23

I think the level of incompetence is so high, that even an above average GM could help. I don’t think this team needs to be ripped down to the foundation. I think we are a few trades away from being competitive. I just don’t think KA will do it. Changes: 1) hire a good head coach = 5 more wins 2) Trade Power, dump Quinn and Greenway = 5 wins 3) add good (not even elite) players to replace them = 5 wins 4) move on from UPL = 5 wins

We are basically icing an AHL team at this point. What percent of the roster are we at for players who started the year in the AHL?

I fully support this as well. I also think what we are seeing/hearing may just be the tip of the iceberg.

Not trying to be an ass, but this is an unreasonable question. We obviously do. Lyons is playing great. Levi is playing excellent in Rochester and there is a logjam of talent behind him. A reasonable question would be, would Ellis be any worse than UPL? People want to think he’s a flash in the pan and no better than Houser lighting it up a few games, but he had better numbers than Levi last year in the AHL. We have many better options than UPL, who is a sub 0.900 goalie. We’ve seen enough.

See, trading for Norris and re-signing Greenway…3D chess.

There’s no need to trade UPL. Just waive him and thank the Lord if someone else takes him. Someone tell Terry we found a way of saving him more money.

He can go to Rochester, but will need to pass through waivers. Someone will likely grab him. Maybe STL again.

I wouldn’t do this. If any team knows his weaknesses, it’s the Blues. Put UPL in there; it sends a subtle message to him.

Does this team even practice 3 on 3s? Perhaps they should. Identify who is good at it and stick to them.

While things sort of feel like last year, maybe the difference here is sustainability. You just knew the wheels could fall off at anytime last year. That said, we are entering November now and we all know what that means, so my final judgement will be at the half way mark.

Payback for the bunch of spare parts (minus Tage) we got for ROR.

Agree on most of these, but the trade for McLeod has been great so far. Disagree he’s been “bad this year”. While maybe not a 2nd line center, he has 7 points in 11 games and is at least even in +/- at 0.

How about Benny giving him 3 assists.

I think within these 30 days, he would go back to STL only if he has a NHL roster spot. STL doesn’t have a goalie problem. So, he would probably be waived again and claimed by a different team.

Unfortunately, the NHL already has a very basic book on UPL. Just shot the puck at him. Soft goals will go in at inopportune times.

I always ask myself, is this really a possibility? And it definitely is. Did you not find it strange that we claimed Ellis off waivers instead of giving Levi the extra games?

Is it me or are young players just throwing small fits when they get what they don’t want? Another reason to hold on to Ellis (or could be the reason we claimed Ellis).

Trading Power at this point will be addition by subtraction. I do not think for one bit we will get a “haul” for him. I think a comparable starting point would be Byram for Mitts. Whether the “Mitts” we get is a the good one or the bad one is anyone’s guess. In fact, Mitts didn’t come saddled with a horrible contract, so I expect we can get Mitts Lite. one more thing: I don’t want a reclamation project with a huge contract (ie a Norris) coming back. Take less of a player to get more of a player.

Obviously Vilma wins out, but who is the dude missing all his teeth on the left? I assume that isn’t a costume.

My sources say he saw UPL slipping money to the hotel’s busboy the day before and saying something along the lines of “…find the worse mattress you guys still have…”

Undoubtedly the quality of goaltending is decreasing, but I wouldn’t describe approximately 1/3 of goaltenders last year as “very few magic bullets”. And in the year before, half the league had “magic bullets”. I know as Sabres fans we are shell shocked. But we are allowed to have nice things.

It looks like we finally have a good number of options in goal. Time to trim the fat.

The road to the buyout is starting right now. If UPL loses his starting job, he is toast and the money his agent would get is as well. If UPL was to stay down in Rochester for the full 2 weeks and Ellis lights it up, it would likely be light out for UPL. And as you said, UPL has no trade value. There’s really one possibility if UPL doesn’t have a role in the Sabres goalie rotation going forward.

The agent’s sole purpose is to advocate for his client. And players do not get their full contract if bought out. If the Sabres ended up waiving UPL, not only does his client have to get up and move, if he clears waivers and is playing in the AHL, they now are a prime target for a buyout. Agents don’t like this because it’s less money for them. It was in the agent’s best interest to get his client playing in NHL games and not being supplanted by a rookie.

I wake up every morning not feeling well. I just don’t think we’re getting the full story here. UPL goes down to the AHL and players a single (godamn) conditioning game, then is inexplicably called up after a rookie showed up the best team in the Atlantic division. Now we learn Ellis “wasn’t 100%”. Something is rotten in Denmark, but I’m sure we already knew this. My guess is KA got bullied by UPL’s agent.