Porous Five Hole

2023 arbitration list. Swayman is on it, so there goes an RFA signing. His case will be interesting because his numbers were great in 37 games (24-6-4, 2.27, .920). GAA tied for 5th in the league, and save percentage tied for fourth. I wonder if an award could cause the Bruins to walk away?

Also, if that were the cost, the deal would be done already.

I just want to make the playoffs and get this train rolling asap.

With the Sabres shoring up their D corps (I believe Clifton is capable of 4D with Power as a partner), I’m starting to warm to the concept of a Helle rental trade. As some have estimated, a Vezina level goalie is approximately +10 points from what the stable of Sabres net-minders currently offer. There’s no science behind that, but it feels like it is accurate. The deadline cost of a top tier rental (non-goalies such as Giroux and P Kane is a first, a pick (estimate a third), and a prospect. However, those guys had trade protection, so the cost might be light. Given the bone-dry market for goalie trades (unsure if that is because of need or availability), I would be willing to offer the deadline price and add a goalie to the offer. A fourth piece would be one of UPL or Comrie—likely UPL, but Comrie has a Jets history. Since the Sabres have a huge pool of forward prospects, that’s a large sweetener of upside without damaging the Sabres pipeline. It is four pieces their way & I’m here for it—if it is possible. I love the potential trajectory of Levi, but Buffalo needs a bridge to him assuming full-time duty. A first, a third, one of Kulich/Östlund, and one of UPL/Comrie is a nice haul…and it makes the Sabres better immediately. And the Sabres prospect pool can certainly afford it.

Thank you. And gross…

Are you insinuating that Hart was involved?

The thing is the Quinn injury didn’t open a slot in the top six for VO. I don’t know what kind of third line Meatballs intends to roll with (energy line, big boys line, another scoring line, or perhaps a new kids line), but I still think he’s a fish out of water on this team.

I get your question. His NHL career save percentage is .916. That’s really good. A Vezina finalist three times in the last six years. But the guy who has seasons in Vegas said he sucks, so that matter has been settled.

I just don’t understand why we are here with UPL. He has not been good since he’s been in North America. Stats don’t lie. And neither will the Amerks season ticket holders. The guy doesn’t have it. Sure, he’s had a couple of stretches where he gets hot for a few games like any other goalie. But he’s never been good. His career save percentage at the AHL level is sub .900. Same at the NHL level. If he was drafted in the 6th round instead of the 2nd round, would anyone care about him at the NHL level? Is it because the team hasn’t had a young goalie in the pipeline since Jonas Johansson (and haven’t had a good prospect since Ullmark), so we are just stuck with UPL for better or worse? Comrie might be the sacrificial lamb to the waiver wire because the concept of UPL might have more value league-wide, but the Sabres should be doing the opposite.

If that’s the best the Jets can get and I’m Winnipeg…I say no to the offer of the Sabres spare parts (I also have no belief in UPL) and wait until the deadline to move Helle.

I want you to know that I laughed out loud

I am a Reddit r/hockey lurker. On the post of this signing, Aves fans appreciated EJ and wished him well. Reddit has no problem calling out bad players or airing dirty laundry. That was not the case here. Nice signing.

Casey gets a top six role after all. This is going to be a monstrous 40 game stretch from him.

Three first round (or equivalent of first round) assets is a pass for me. What is the most recent comp of a top tier goalie who doesn’t have trade protection being traded for the equivalent of three firsts? Genuinely asking…I’m just trying to understand who set the market price.

I would like to complain about opinionated people who don’t pay their debts 😳

But should it? I don’t like how team success translates to being deserving of such an individual honor. The eras are slightly different, but did you know Ryan Miller had more career wins and a better career save percentage than Vernon?

Highlights from last night. Game seven went to OT!

Mike Vernon is Canadian and also played with a Canadian NHL team for a time. If you are Canadian or spent your career with a Canadian franchise, the bar to the HOF is lower. And people, don’t @ me. It just is.

I am not a rich man, but I’ll gladly pay the $100 on @Buffalonill behalf if he goes away until the season opener. Maybe that will be more painful than actually paying up. But something should happen.

Murray was the Sabres GM from Jan 2014 to April 2017. So he headed three NHL drafts. For purposes of this exercise, I am only looking at his drafted players and not his trades. 2014 Entry2 Sam Reinhart 2014 Entry31 Brendan Lemieux 2014 Entry44 Eric Cornel 2014 Entry49 Vaclav Karabacek 2014 Entry61 Jonas Johansson 2014 Entry74 Brycen Martin 2014 Entry121 Max Willman 2014 Entry151 Christopher Brown 2014 Entry181 Victor Olofsson VO was a home run. Jonas Johansson was a fringe NHLer. Rhino was a consensus #2 pick (not blaming GMTM for not drafting Draisitle, but not giving credit for Rhino). Lemieux has never scored double digit goals in the NHL, but has been an NHLer. Draft grade: B? 2015 Entry2 Jack Eichel 2015 Entry51 Brendan Guhle 2015 Entry92 Will Borgen 2015 Entry122 Devante Stephens 2015 Entry152 Giorgio Estephan 2015 Entry182 Ivan Chukarov Jack pick gets no credit for obvious decision. Guhle washed out. Borgen in a 5-6 D. The rest was a dud. Grade: C-ish? 2016 Entry8 Alexander Nylander 2016 Entry33 Rasmus Asplund 2016 Entry69 Cliff Pu 2016 Entry86 Casey Fitzgerald 2016 Entry99 Brett Murray 2016 Entry129 Philip Nyberg 2016 Entry130 Vojtech Budik 2016 Entry159 Brandon Hagel 2016 Entry189 Austin Osmanski 2016 Entry190 Vasili Glotov Nylander was a yikes. Raspy was an NHLer for a terrible team Fitzy is a fringe NHLer. Hagel was a swing and a miss by Botts. Grade: C-ish? His eye for talent of players who weren’t already pros was kinda bad.

Interestingly enough, Ullmark has a 16 team no move clause. That will make it tough on the B’s.

Assuming Rousek is a third liner, this would mean we are IN BUSINESS come playoff time next year.

The way I see it, a move like this hitches your ride to that guy. And if Levi outplays that guy, then you’ve got a 6MM backup. Not to mention Levi is an RFA in two years, so that timeline doesn’t really match if you need to pay Levi. While Swayman could potentially be moved later, it isn’t exactly easy to move a 6MM player via trade without taking back a contract. And Buffalo will be a capped team by then. It just comes down to Levi’s trajectory and I think KA is a believer.

I brought this up during the playoffs. If the cupboard only had UPL, I would endorse this. But I really think the Sabres believe in Levi as the long term answer and Swayman would be a blocker to Levi ascending into the role. I think a UFA for two years (a La Freddy Anderson) makes more sense.

Well, the Gulls are averaging 7k and no one spends a billion dollars for minor league sports.