Porous Five Hole

I agree on Radim. He’s just so athletic that I think he can hang as a young guy. It’s only one night, but you can already see how the Amerks are built differently for 25-26. They’re bigger, heavier, and more built to play big boy hockey than last year. Not relying on young high draft picks to out score teams and prepared to answer any bell. If Levi can hold down the fort, they’ll be excellent this year. Östlund may be the real deal. He had two PP assists and was a driver on each. He was even on the scoresheet and noticeable with the puck on his stick. Rosen scored two laser bomb PP goals. A good sign. The kids are alright.

Dahlin

This makes sense to me.

Also relevant to this is Power shed his non-contact jersey indicating he’s good to go.

I’m joking here, but wouldn’t promoting Appert get him off of special teams, which would enhance the team?

As is tradition, I’m here expecting the best. Better defensive pairs and more mature forwards = the loss of Peterka’s goal scoring. The Sabres haven’t had a hard time scoring goals. I’m here in the hopium den expecting Tage/Norris production to light it up and pushing Tuch to RW2 as a driver to a second productive line on a playoff team.

Yes. We already know Dahls & Bo are great as a pair. Assuming health, Kess & Power are a huge upgrade over Muel on the same pair. Timmons is an upgrade over Clifton and whomever. He did say that this may not be enough to cover for shoddy goaltending. But it’s a much better template than they were working with last year. Hope is a ***** strategy, but this is the path toward improvement. As Travis said, getting league average goaltending with this defense core = hopium.

Saturday’s game is also nearly a sellout. Monday afternoon’s game has tix avail, but will be well attended. Huge opportunity for the Sabres here.

It is kind of wild that you simultaneously just described Devon Levi.

Apartment hunting in Rochester

This is true and it all goes back to the UPL extension. UPL had a nice 23-24 season, but it did not warrant a five year extension because it was the outlier to his career trajectory. He got hot for 40 games and KA was hoodwinked. You would like to think the GM knows his guys and this was a good decision. It wasn’t. And he stopped trying to improve the position once he inked that deal.

Sure—but that is very unlikely because it is unlikely Ellis would clear waivers when we waive him. He can get re-claimed by the Blues and sent to the AHL (which is what they wanted to do all along). Georgiev wasn’t here until training camp and only signed because of an injury.

The organization needed another goalie for Rochester either way. The Amerks are legitimately good and giving 30 games to one of Topias Leinonen or Scott Ratzlaff would be a terrible idea. What’s scary is it took a UPL injury for KA to do anything.

He has eyes and saw Georgiev’s preseason, so I bet he expected it. In all seriousness, I think Darth nailed it that he will backup Lyon while UPL is out and hit waivers again. The perfect spot for Ellis is in the AHL owning a crease like Levi is doing. Ellis only 64 AHL starts in his career. Good for his wallet that he isn’t and I hope his fresh start turns him into Dom reincarnated.

Ellis’s numbers in the AHL last year comp to Devon Levi (Devon is a full year younger). CE: 42GP, 22W 14L 3OT 3SO, GAA 2.63, .922 Sv Pct DL: 42GP, 25W 13L 4OT 7SO, GAA 2.20, .917 Sv Pct

25 year old third round pick back from the 2019 draft. Never played an NHL game. Already better than Georgiev.

Character concerns. Not saying the Sabres shouldn’t put a claim in, but that’s why he’s on waivers again.

Woody got taken to the woodshed 😜

Here’s eleven for you my friend 🖐️🖐️👆

“At all” and “worst than as a rookie” are both silly hyperbole. You’re better than this. Yes, the contract was overpaying a young player, but let’s not forget he is only age 22 today. The contract was signed to be an underpay when he’s 24-27. You may hate that and that’s fine, but throwing contract value estimates of a 21 year old defensemen is bonkers. Don’t you remember the mess of what Dahlin was at 21? He’s aged pretty well. Sure it’s convenient and appropriate to blame Ralph for stunting Dahlin, but NHL D take time. To act like Power is in his final form at this point in his career is stupid. OP will be fine. I know patience is a dirty word with this organization, but this is a player/contract that deserves exactly that.