pi2000

I've never seen a goalie, at the NHL level, struggle to catch the puck as much as UPL. Pucks not only bounce out of his glove like it's spring loaded, he also struggles at covering his high glove side. As the season wore on teams began to exploit this weakness and it showed. He's still relatively young for a goalie, but he's got lots and lots of work to do... rebound control, recovery, awareness, tracking pucks, anticipation, etc...

I'd expect to hear something soon about him deciding to test free agency this summer.... then immediately sign with the Ducks.

I'd rather see UPL traded.

Comrie played well his last two games, a shutty on the Island then a .927 sv% in an OTL vs Montreal... then he hasn't seen the ice for well over 2 weeks. Odd.

Why rush into signing him now? He'd be an RFA after next season with no arbitration rights. If you think you can get him cheaper now, then by all means let's make a deal, but we really don't know how good he's going to be. Maybe you want to let that carrot hang in front of him a little bit while he's developing.

season ain't over yet

no need to extend Power this offseason

I could understand if it was a shot heading toward the net and Giroux redirected in, but it was a pass heading to the corner which required a distinct kick to the net for it to hit the goal.

The issue with Johnson is that he hasn't really developed much the past 2 seasons. What's his cieling? Is this it? Bottom line is I trust the Sabres judgement here... which isn't something I could confidentily say a few seasons ago.

do better

Trade Olofsson, acquire 2 defensemen and a proven goalie.

He's trained only to shoot if he has a clear shot lane AND there's traffic in front of the goalie. Watch next time he hesitates... he's waiting for his teammates to get a net front presence. That said, once he has time to work on his shot, he'll be more willing to shoot without traffic in front... if he gets his velocity up, the goalie will be less able to control the rebound, creating scoring chances for teammates on the perimeter of the net front.

Jokiharju, who IMO gets pushed off the puck too easily, is 30lbs heavier than Johnson. He'll need to bulk up and get stronger before he sees a single shift in the NHL.

He's not physical, on the smaller side and doesn't produce offensively. He skates well and is a good first pass guy, but that's about it.

It appeared that the puck moved backwards when he pulled it from his backhand to his forehand.

Anybody who still thinks Levi needs to spend some time in Roch needs to get their head examined. Wether they make the playoffs or not, this past week feels like a turning point for the franchise. Boy what a difference a goalie makes.

I hope they play well, take advantage of their opportunities and come out on top.

He's from Orange County, his dad is an assistant coach w/ the Ducks.... Buffalo might be a tough sell.

He's gonna need time in Roch, he's def not a lock to make the team. I wouldn't bench Stillman for him, especially on a winning streak.

After facing some stiff competition in the frozen four, Johnson's chances of signing are pointing up.

All typical rankings for a young team.

Sure small NHL sample size, but having been around the game for 40+ years, I can confidently say Levi appears to be the real deal. He's athletic, competitive, detailed and driven. Reminds me of Jonathan Quick, Eddie Belfour, Curtis Joseph, etc... not big guys, but athletic and competitive as hell. As I detailed in another post, if the Sabres received average NHL goaltending on home ice (sv%, GA v XGA), they would be in the top wildcard spot.

Levi was fantastic again... giving up 2 goals on 4.31 xGA. He looks like the real deal, exciting. Sure the loss sucks, but they'll grow from this, especially the younger guys. Will give them added motivation to get stronger over the summer.

With 3 of their last 7 against CAR, @NYR, @NJD with 2 back-to-backs I don't like their chances even with a win tomorrow.