Enroth signed

[donteatyellowsnow]

That is the only one.

 

 

 

I agree 100%. I think he needs a few years as Miller's backup...then we'll go from there.

 

Who knows, if Gerbe isn't busy filling in at center, maybe he could play goal too? (I kid I kid...but seriously... ;) )

 

Why does he need a few years as Miller's backup?

There are tons of goalies that were thrust into starter mode, and never served as a 2 year backup and did fine. Ryan Miller being one of them.

 

The notion that Enroth could not ever possible be as good or better than Miller right out of the box is crazy.

 

Yeah, he could fail miserably, but he could also be light years better than Miller. The thought that Enroth will never be as good as Miller, or is too raw, inexperienced, or whatever is just Miller fans reaching for whatever excuse possible because they know the new guy might be better and threatens to upset their little world and they can't deal with it.

 

What if Enroth proves to be a lot better than Miller this year, because it could happen, then what? It's all about the "TEAM" winning right? You go with the best player, right? I know it is a bunch of what if's, but they are legit what if's!

[BetweenThePipes00]

Why does he need a few years as Miller's backup?

There are tons of goalies that were thrust into starter mode, and never served as a 2 year backup and did fine. Ryan Miller being one of them.

 

The notion that Enroth could not ever possible be as good or better than Miller right out of the box is crazy.

 

Yeah, he could fail miserably, but he could also be light years better than Miller. The thought that Enroth will never be as good as Miller, or is too raw, inexperienced, or whatever is just Miller fans reaching for whatever excuse possible because they know the new guy might be better and threatens to upset their little world and they can't deal with it.

 

What if Enroth proves to be a lot better than Miller this year, because it could happen, then what? It's all about the "TEAM" winning right? You go with the best player, right? I know it is a bunch of what if's, but they are legit what if's!

 

What took you so long?

[dEnnis the Menace]

Why does he need a few years as Miller's backup?

There are tons of goalies that were thrust into starter mode, and never served as a 2 year backup and did fine. Ryan Miller being one of them.

 

The notion that Enroth could not ever possible be as good or better than Miller right out of the box is crazy.

 

 

I never said that he couldn't, I just don't think he's as good as you think he is right now. He's played 16 games in the Big Leagues? As soon as teams learn to shoot high and screen him even the slightest bit, his adjustment to that is going to gauge his development. Did you see his AHL stats? not all that impressive if you ask me.

 

Yeah, he could fail miserably, but he could also be light years better than Miller. The thought that Enroth will never be as good as Miller, or is too raw, inexperienced, or whatever is just Miller fans reaching for whatever excuse possible because they know the new guy might be better and threatens to upset their little world and they can't deal with it.

 

What if Enroth proves to be a lot better than Miller this year, because it could happen, then what? It's all about the "TEAM" winning right? You go with the best player, right? I know it is a bunch of what if's, but they are legit what if's!

 

 

Again, not saying he can or cannot be better than Miller, I'm jsut saying that he had a few flashes of greatness, but he's also had some OH $H1T moments too. I think he's still maturing, and while we have the opportunity to put him under Millers wing, we should for now...just as long as he doesn't pick up that 'wtf' wave.

[donteatyellowsnow]

What took you so long?

 

Apparently, unlike you, I lead a regular busy life and can only frequent this place occasionally. I try to spend as much time possible with the family, not in a Sabre forum.

[Lanny]

If he outplays Miller than I'd expect him to start.

[BetweenThePipes00]

Apparently, unlike you, I lead a regular busy life and can only frequent this place occasionally. I try to spend as much time possible with the family, not in a Sabre forum.

 

Very nice. Not sure a little sarcasm from me warranted escalating things to THAT level but hey ... whatever works for you.

[That Aud Smell]

as others have pointed out, he was a relative unknown. It's quite possible that he will get "figured out" by other teams and never play as well again.

the nhl history books are littered with goalies who come into the league as unknowns, dominate for a stretch of time, and then slide back into mediocrity or even out of the league.

 

i used to think that this phenomenon was a function of the fragile psyches that goalies have. i now believe that this phenomenon owes to the fact that goalies get scouted, dissected, and picked apart once they have a body of work that can be studied and exploited.

 

as X and others have said often, it's the good and great ones who respond to that process by matching what the shooters are doing to expose them.

 

we've yet to see how jhonas is at chess.

[shrader]

I'm not nearly as optimistic about Enroth as some fans. He did a very good job last year, but as others have pointed out, he was a relative unknown. It's quite possible that he will get "figured out" by other teams and never play as well again. We shall see, but I wouldn't slot him in as a guaranteed #1 just yet.

 

And if you need a reason for your pessimism, look no further than his save percentage.

[qwksndmonster]

Why does he need a few years as Miller's backup?

There are tons of goalies that were thrust into starter mode, and never served as a 2 year backup and did fine. Ryan Miller being one of them.

 

The notion that Enroth could not ever possible be as good or better than Miller right out of the box is crazy.

 

Yeah, he could fail miserably, but he could also be light years better than Miller. The thought that Enroth will never be as good as Miller, or is too raw, inexperienced, or whatever is just Miller fans reaching for whatever excuse possible because they know the new guy might be better and threatens to upset their little world and they can't deal with it.

 

What if Enroth proves to be a lot better than Miller this year, because it could happen, then what? It's all about the "TEAM" winning right? You go with the best player, right? I know it is a bunch of what if's, but they are legit what if's!

Who expressed this notion?

Why are you attacking the people that want Miller as the starter? Miller is a proven goalie in the NHL, and has what it takes to be the best goaltender in the league. If Enroth is really better than Miller, I'm positive he'll end up between the pipes for the Sabres in coming years. Enroth should not start right away for the Sabres, because (as everyone here has stated) he has yet to play when teams have a book on him. Starting Enroth right away this year would be an unnecessary risk to a team that is going to be trying to find its chemistry in the first twenty games or so. This is also a risk because Miller is the leader of this team and will help things come together faster.

[X. Benedict]

They basically split the difference, which is what I wanted and what seemed the most logical solution. The Sabres pay what they wanted in year one and pay what Enroth wanted in year two. Enroth's pay in year two is still a bargain for a good backup goalie who can both step in for Miller when he needs rest and take over for a month or two if he's hurt.

 

In the meantime, he got a really good offer from a KHL team. If he didn't have a significant preference for North America, he might be gone now.

That covers it pretty well.

 

Many of the players that have gone to the KHL have had trouble collecting their original terms.

So, though there is plenty of talent over there, you see guys like Yashin and Jagr coming back.

 

so If Enroth signed for 1.5 in the KHL...there was a good chance he wasn't going to see all of it.

[donteatyellowsnow]

Who expressed this notion?

Why are you attacking the people that want Miller as the starter? Miller is a proven goalie in the NHL, and has what it takes to be the best goaltender in the league. If Enroth is really better than Miller, I'm positive he'll end up between the pipes for the Sabres in coming years. Enroth should not start right away for the Sabres, because (as everyone here has stated) he has yet to play when teams have a book on him. Starting Enroth right away this year would be an unnecessary risk to a team that is going to be trying to find its chemistry in the first twenty games or so. This is also a risk because Miller is the leader of this team and will help things come together faster.

 

How much did Miller play before he was named the starter?

[Weave]

How much did Miller play before he was named the starter?

 

66 games over over 3 seasons by my count. If you recall he split starting role with Biron for a whole season before he won the starter job outright.

[BetweenThePipes00]

66 games over over 3 seasons by my count. If you recall he split starting role with Biron for a whole season before he won the starter job outright.

I may disagree with 'snow, but I think this is wrong. It was only like 18 games ... 2005-06 he was the starter but broke his thumb. He was not splitting time when healthy.

[thesportsbuff]

I'm not ready to make a decision on Enroth either way. I hope he does end up being better than Miller, but this is definitely Ryan's team for the coming season. And I think this season could have a profound impact on Enroth's career one way or another. Miller has proven to be a Top 5 goalie in the game at times, and he's also let us down in the big moments occasionally as well. This year, there hopefully won't be any excuses -- It's probably premature to say that our defense is night and day better this season than it has been in recent years before seeing them play a game, but certainly on paper we have a borderline Elite defense, and that should work in Miller's favor. If Miller rises to the occasion and plays like the superstar we've seen flashes of, then maybe we do trade Enroth and see what kind of return we can get for him. If he struggles, even with a very solid defense in front of him, then Enroth may see more and more playing time, and if HE lives up to the hype, maybe he could take over as the #1 down the road.

 

I think the important thing to note is that Enroth is only 23 years old -- a lot of goalies (even Miller IIRC) don't get much NHL playing time until they're 25 or 26 years old. There's no rush to make a decision on him. We can let Miller play out his contract, or most of his contract, THEN turn to Enroth, who will be a young goalie entering his prime years. It's not like we're "wasting" him by grooming him behind a world class goalie. For this reason, I think it's unlikely that Enroth gets traded unless it's part of a really good deal that Darcy simply couldn't turn down.

 

Either way, it's a good problem to have.

 

 

HYPOTHETICAL: Let's say Enroth continues playing pretty well the next two or three years. Maybe just a shade shy of being on Miller's level. Our offense starts to gel and we become a fairly dominant team, but are pushed up against the cap after extensions to Myers & Ennis, and come up just a little short in the goal scoring department. Our defense proves to be an elite defense and excels at protecting the goalie and keeping shots to the outside. A top tier free agent is available on July 1st, let's say Stamkos just for the sake of example (I know, Stamkos signed a 5 year deal, not 2 or 3 years. But w/e, that's why it's hypothetical.). Do you trade Miller to sign that final piece of the offensive puzzle, that elite 50-goal scorer in Stamkos? Or do you keep your world class goalie and hope he can get you over the hump?

[thesportsbuff]

I may disagree with 'snow, but I think this is wrong. It was only like 18 games ... 2005-06 he was the starter but broke his thumb. He was not splitting time when healthy.

 

I think you're correct. Miller was the starter, but Biron filled in incredibly for the month that Ryan was out. They didn't split 50/50 from then on out, but I do think Biron got his fair share of starts over the rest of the season, no? Back-to-backs and such I assume.

[DumbPuck]

 

Who knows, if Gerbe isn't busy filling in at center, maybe he could play goal too? (I kid I kid...but seriously... ;) )

 

Hey, it's strange that you said that. I just noticed on Sabres.com roster that Gerbe is a Center. He also played center back in college I think.

 

 

 

EDIT: And btw before I get flamed off the forums, yes, that was sarcasm. Just trying to drive a certain someone batty :-D

[nfreeman]

Why does he need a few years as Miller's backup?

There are tons of goalies that were thrust into starter mode, and never served as a 2 year backup and did fine. Ryan Miller being one of them.

 

The notion that Enroth could not ever possible be as good or better than Miller right out of the box is crazy.

 

Yeah, he could fail miserably, but he could also be light years better than Miller. The thought that Enroth will never be as good as Miller, or is too raw, inexperienced, or whatever is just Miller fans reaching for whatever excuse possible because they know the new guy might be better and threatens to upset their little world and they can't deal with it.

 

What if Enroth proves to be a lot better than Miller this year, because it could happen, then what? It's all about the "TEAM" winning right? You go with the best player, right? I know it is a bunch of what if's, but they are legit what if's!

Holy straw man, Batman!

 

No one is saying the bolded part.

 

Of course it's all about the team winning. If Enroth is better then he should have the #1 job.

 

What most are saying is that Enroth hasn't come close to demonstrating enough for the Sabres to decide to unload Miller and go with Enroth.

 

I may disagree with 'snow, but I think this is wrong. It was only like 18 games ... 2005-06 he was the starter but broke his thumb. He was not splitting time when healthy.

Correct.

[MDFan]

Hey, it's strange that you said that. I just noticed on Sabres.com roster that Gerbe is a Center. He also played center back in college I think.

 

Maybe Enroth can play center?

 

EDIT: And btw before I get flamed off the forums, yes, that was sarcasm. Just trying to drive a certain someone batty :-D

[carpandean]

How much did Miller play before he was named the starter?

I may disagree with 'snow, but I think this is wrong. It was only like 18 games ... 2005-06 he was the starter but broke his thumb. He was not splitting time when healthy.

Of course, it's worth pointing out that he didn't get the starting job after the season where he played 15 of those 18 games; he got that starting job coming out of the lockout after winning the AHL equivalent of the Vezina when the AHL was a bit closer than normal to NHL level (due to the lockout.) Near as I can tell, Marty didn't play anywhere during the lockout.

[shrader]

Hey, it's strange that you said that. I just noticed on Sabres.com roster that Gerbe is a Center. He also played center back in college I think.

 

 

 

EDIT: And btw before I get flamed off the forums, yes, that was sarcasm. Just trying to drive a certain someone batty :-D

 

Unless someone creates the screen name DontPunchDontPatTheGerbe, you're going to be in real trouble.

[spndnchz]

Nothing wrong with Enroth pushing Miller a bit. LaLime (God rest his game) never did.

[donteatyellowsnow]

Of course, it's worth pointing out that he didn't get the starting job after the season where he played 15 of those 18 games; he got that starting job coming out of the lockout after winning the AHL equivalent of the Vezina when the AHL was a bit closer than normal to NHL level (due to the lockout.) Near as I can tell, Marty didn't play anywhere during the lockout.

 

 

Fair enough.

 

Miller's AHL numbers are slightly better than Enroth's AHL numbers but Enroth's AHL playoff save % is a lot better than Millers.

 

Still I have yet to see where Enroth is nowhere near ready to "carry the load" as a lot say, but Millers AHL credentials made him over the top ready.

 

If Miller was ready than so is Enroth. Enough with the excuses. Miller has 1 more year to prove he is the man.

[spndnchz]

Jhonas' cage:

 

[wjag]

Jhonas' cage:

 

 

Not sure what I think of that..

[5th line wingnutt]

I was supposed to be off Friday. There was a computer disaster at work and I got called in. Instead of being off I worked about 8.5 hours and then went home, had supper, and worked another hour or so. Today I went in at 7 AM and worked until about 4:30 with only a 20 minute break for lunch. My boss, a very nice guy, went out and got the lunch and paid for it. I think we fixed almost everything fixable, and provided our users with what they need to fix other stuff. No sympathy is required. The point is I have been drinking beer heavily and steadily since I got home. Please excuse any incoherence.

 

Miller is a proven #1 and deserves to be.

 

Enroth is promising, but not proven. His NHL resume is simply too limited.

 

Many goaltenders have been good until shooters discovered their weakness. Some goalies have adapted, some not.

 

My opinion is that Enroth has already shown some adapting and improving. This is based on seeing him play before this season past, during this season, and especially at the end of the season. The end of the season he played very well when he knew that 1) Sabres needed it: and 2) He was in a contract year; and 3) he wants to be in the NHL.