GASabresIUFAN

They have reached the cap floor once the RFAs are re-signed. They'll be at able 62 mill. Insurance is a fair word. Conceptually that's fine, except each of the new guys brings something specific to the lineup that KA wants. Butcher brings speed and offense, Pysyk a RHD and Hagg physical play. I can accept Hagg might be insurance for Samuelsson, but Butcher is simply a more experienced version of Bryson. To me it's clearly saying he thinks Bryson isn't ready.

Like I have to power to fire RK when he didn't. Like when he said he likes our goaltending situation last year and again this off-season.

They care if they want more then a bucket of pucks and a grilled cheese sandwich for him. Think about how badly we get taken on the ROR trade when Terry forced Jbot to trade him so we didn't have to pay the bonus. We are in a nearly identical situation. Top player on a long-term deal wants out. Team wants him gone so that they aren't responsible for something (surgery or bonus). The ROR deal proved that you can't get top $ in this situation. The only way to maximize the return is to work out the insurance issue, let him have the surgery he wants, get him healthy and back on the ice for the Sabres. The way you work out the insurance issue is get the contract insurance company to approve the "experimental" surgery. Hard obviously, but not impossible. It's not like the surgery is brand new. Likely take some additional premium which Jack or his agent should pay.

For all KA's talk about not blocking the kids it seems that he has actually done the opposite to a certain extent with the defense. We ended last year with a back end of Dahlin, Risto, Miller, Jokiharju, Samuelsson and Bryson. If I remember correctly, Samuelsson and Bryson both graded out analytically pretty well last season, but those 2 seem to be getting the short end of the stick based on KA's roster moves this off-season. Risto had been traded and replaced by Hagg. KA then signed Pysyk and traded for Butcher. Pysyk was signed to add depth on the right side. Butcher was signed to add offense. I'm assuming both are in the top 6 to open the season. If that happens either Bryson or Samuelsson are going back to the minors. I also think KA grabbed Hagg to add a more physical element to our team. Hagg had 100 hits in only 34 games last season. Also in our new economic model, KA isn't pay 1.7 to Hagg or 2.8 to Butcher to sit on the bench (at least initially). My guess is these moves may block both kids from playing in the NHL to start next season and I have to ask, given the team's mantra of youth and economy, why block two of our better young D.

He's not getting traded until he is healthy and playing. He knows this, the Sabres know this and so does every team in the NHL. The only question is how do we get him healthy and back on the ice. Jack says experimental procedure and the Sabres and their insurance policy say traditional fusion surgery.

Hard to mentor someone in Rochester if Anderson is playing in Buffalo. Does this imply that UPL will be in Buffalo come Fall?

Not fair. Other then the rooting for another team his comments were pretty accurate. The team is populated with kids and guys looking to stay in the NHL. They are better then an AHL team, but not much on paper and the goaltending situation is an absolute joke. Why waste money on an inferior product?

The best available solution to the goaltending right now is Korpisalo from CBJ. He is 27 and on the last year of his deal. He took a small step back last year and CBJ wants to dump his cap hit. Sound like a Butcher type trade that could yield significant upside. At worst we could probably trade him at the deadline for more then it would cost to acquire him now.

You lost me when you said root for the Flyers etc.... Not in a million years. I'm much more likely to root for the former Atlanta Thrashers (aka the Winnipeg Jets).

except you are forgetting that the other 5 goalies are below replacement backups. Johansson is barely an AHL goalie, Tokarski is a solid AHLer, UPL is a raw prospect, Houser is an ECHL goalie and Hutton proved during his stay here that he shouldn't be in the NHL either. While better defense and better offense would have helped, the guys not named Ullmark were not and should not be NHL goaltenders last season or this (including UPL).

While we are passionate fans on this site, I have and am giving serious consideration to throwing in the towel on this franchise. I've been a passionate fan since their inaugural season, but this past season combined with KA's poor management and the new tank roster with the worst goaltending tandem of any team I can ever remember has shaken my faith to the core. I truly have had enough. I wonder if I feel this way, how do most others feel. My guess is the team will be giving tickets away all season just to get anyone to come to a game. I'm certainly not going to pay to watch through a streaming service. If people continue to jump ship, will there be anything left in 2-3 years?

Who will have more wins next season the Bills (including playoffs) or the Sabres?

The team went 9-6-3 with Ullmark in net last season. The other 5 goalies 6-28-4. We can blame Covid, injuries, hard division, condensed schedule etc... for the last place finish, but regardless of coach and players the team was a playoff caliber team with Ullmark in net. Had we had a credible backup we wouldn't have finished last and might have competed for a playoff spot. It's really that simple.

I've mentioned this up thread but Nedjelkovic was waived right before last season started. KA could have grabbed him for nothing.

Gotcha! I figured as much, but had to be sure.

Not really. When we had good goaltending the team was a playoff caliber team. When we played in front of Hutton, UPL, Tokarski, Houser etc... we were the worst team in the NHL by a wide margin. Who failed to get an upgrade for Hutton? KA that's who. Had we had a better backup the team might not have spiraled into oblivion. I don't know for sure, but the early metrics on last season were good and KA, like Jbot before him, failed to support the team and down the drain they went. So while it isn't a perfectly straight line, KA bares much of the blame for last season by not fixing the obvious glaring hole in net. Just to add insult to injury he made the situation even worse this year.

You seem to have forgotten not getting a good backup last year, the signing of Eakin, the signing of Hall with a full NMC, the terrible returns on the Reinhart and Hall trades and over paying of Thompson and Girgensons, the drafting of Quinn over Rossi, etc….. That’s a giant pile of crap in such a short time. You have no idea if Ventura or Karmanos have had a positive impact. The Reinhart return and the goaltending situation are not positive endorsements for this allegedly upgraded administration.

What actions by KA during his tenure other then maybe the Risto trade has illustrated that KA has any idea what he is doing?

Adams specifically said if UPL proves ready to be in the NHL he'll be in the NHL.

This is where you are wrong. Signing Ullmark does nothing to prevent UPL from making the NHL if he is ready. I understand you'd rather have him start in the AHL. However management may think it's better to play as a backup in the NHL. If UPL is eventually ready to be the starter then you can always trade Ullmark.

I agree the UPL isn't ready by any definition. I've even called KA delusional for thinking UPL is ready for NHL duty. However your opinion and mine do mean squat if KA thinks he is ready or nearly ready.

I agree. the natural progression is from AHL starter to NHL backup to NHL starter. It's what Ullmark did. Signing a 28 year old injury prone goalie to be your starter makes it likely that the backup may ultimately share the net 50/50. Also it seems we are defining "ready" differently. In Liger world "ready" means NHL starter. For most of the rest of us "ready" means ready to be a contributing NHL player. No one, not even KA, thinks that UPL is ready to be an NHL starter. I think most of us agree that it would be better for UPL's development if he played in the AHL all season as a starter. However KA is the GM and makes those decisions. I think he is working under 2 main mandates from above. First save money and second play the kids. Therefore he has traded away or will trade away his most marketable big contract players (Risto, Reinhart and soon Jack) to save money. He also signed bargain bin FAs in another cost saving option and refuses to "trade assets" to fill holes on his current roster in case they might block one of the kids. So how does making a run at keeping Ullmark fit it? First we played playoff caliber hockey with him in net. If he had returned, we would be much more competitive and while still being cheap cab wise. How? Once the RFAs are signed we'll be at about 63 mill. Trade Jack for futures and we suddenly become 7 mill under the cap floor. If he had paid Ullmark 5 mill, that eliminates most of that shortfall. Had he signed Ullmark the door would still be open for UPL to seize the 1B role if ready to be an NHL goalie. So plan B was to forget about being competitive and swing open the door wide open for UPL to seize an NHL job under the play the kids mandate. To execute this plan KA brought in 2 veteran goalies on nothing contracts that are easily jettisoned if UPL proves ready.

Yes you do. UPL comes in as the back up for a few years and then Ullmark and his contract be traded when UPL is fully ready to be the starter

I think he is under the delusion that UPL is ready or nearly so. His numbers say otherwise. He’ll bring in someone for the ECHL if they have a season.

Great value contract. He'll be in goal for all 10 of the team's wins next season.