Erik Portillo returning to Michigan Per Friedman

[Carmel Corn]

5 minutes ago, The Ghost of Yuri said:

Kevyn Adams has yet to draft a goalie.  Portillo was on JBott's watch.

RE:  JBOT - so was Ryan Johnson, who may follow Portillo's example.  We could end up losing both of them.

[thewookie1]

The rule should be that you are retained 2 years past your final college game. So if a player truly is gung-ho about his education then he can finish his degree without it hurting the team investing time and money into his development 

[Second Line Center]

3 hours ago, Brawndo said:

Portillo loves school. He is in  the University of Michigan Ross School of Business and wants to finish His Degree. That's One of  Top Business School in the US, so on one hand I do not blame him for wanting to return. 

On the other He's now a trade asset that must be considered in any deal moving forward. 

 

 

 

Why would any team care if he's in a trade?

 

He's close to being a UFA

[inkman]

17 minutes ago, The Ghost of Yuri said:

Kevyn Adams has yet to draft a goalie.  Portillo was on JBott's watch.

I knew someone would have this response. Let me rephrase, Kevyn Adams please don’t draft any college goalies. 

[klos1963]

29 minutes ago, The Ghost of Yuri said:

Do you have to answer every question with a question?

 

 

 

 

 

😉

That's simply him spinning something he has no control over.

Maybe it had nothing to do with the team and everything to do with his educational goals?

What do you think?

[Buffalonill]

5 minutes ago, inkman said:

I knew someone would have this response. Let me rephrase, Kevyn Adams please don’t draft any college goalies. 

Its the same in every league though (chl , overseas) you can't force someone to sign they also can walk 

[kas23]

13 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

The rule should be that you are retained 2 years past your final college game. So if a player truly is gung-ho about his education then he can finish his degree without it hurting the team investing time and money into his development 

That’s a reasonable solution. That said, where else would he play past his last college game if not for a professional league? I do like the idea of signing a prospect and allowing him to finish school. I can’t see why the schools wouldn’t go for this, but it’s probably the NCAA blocking it. 

[tom webster]

Up to four pages for a guy who may not even be any good. Nice.

[Sabel79]

9 minutes ago, tom webster said:

Up to four pages for a guy who may not even be any good. Nice.

[thewookie1]

25 minutes ago, kas23 said:

That’s a reasonable solution. That said, where else would he play past his last college game if not for a professional league? I do like the idea of signing a prospect and allowing him to finish school. I can’t see why the schools wouldn’t go for this, but it’s probably the NCAA blocking it. 

 

That's kind of the idea; it removes the legitimate reason of staying in school for education as a way to stand up your draft team.

[dudacek]

Another year of college will be good for Portillo. He hasn’t played a lot of games prior to this year.

The revelation he can bolt next year coupled with the fact he may feel threatened by Levi is worth people feeling concerned.

He had the opportunity to be handed the number one job in Rochester and be one pulled groin away from the NHL next year and didn’t take it. 

Im very curious to find out why.

[Peter]

FWIW - I recall Owen Power saying after the Sabres drafted him that he and Portillo were roommates. I also recall reading that Portillo and Rasmus Dahlin practiced together in Sweden (I have no idea how often).

In any event, Portillo presumably has a good relationship with both. I don't think there is any reason to panic - at least not now.

Edited April 10, 2022 by Peter

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, tom webster said:

Up to four pages for a guy who may not even be any good. Nice.

It’s  much more than that.   Being shunned is worse than him signing and being mediocre or less.  
 

We haven’t had a decent NHL goalie since Ryan Miller.  We just went thru a season where Uhlmark left us, and they scrambled just to get Anderson and Dell.  The goaltending cost us a chance to at least compete for 8th in the conference.
 

The fan base is banking on one of UPL, Portillo, or Levi, being the next great Sabres goalie.  Portillo and Levi can get out by staying in school, which is what they are doing.  
 

The culture is changing within the team but the perception from the outside will not change until we start winning. We are in  a historic NHL playoff drought that cannot end unless we improve the goaltending.  
 

Players, prospects, coaches, FO people, media and fans, all know we are in hockey hell.  Hence this reaction should be understandable by another Sabres fan. 

Edited April 10, 2022 by Pimlach

[Sabel79]

3 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

 

The fan base is banking on one of UPL, Portillo, or Levi, being the next great Sabres goalie.  Portillo and Levi can get out by staying in school, which is what they are doing.  
 

 

There are an awful lot of unstated assumptions doing an awful lot of work here.  

The next "great' Sabres goalie isn't even a concern right now.  We need to worry about the next entirely competent #1.  Neither of these guys were even going to be that for the Sabres next season, no matter how high they may someday climb.

[Brawndo]

49 minutes ago, Second Line Center said:

 

 

Why would any team care if he's in a trade?

 

He's close to being a UFA

It’s quite simple actually, GMs figure out where the player would be interested in signing through conversations with the Players Advisor and see if a deal can be worked out with that team. 
 

Adam Fox was traded to the Rangers for 2nd, this past TDL Minnesota traded Jack McBain, who was eligible to be an UFA on August 15th, 2022, to Arizona for a 2nd, McBain signed His ELC with Arizona.  There very often is mutual desire of the player and team to burn a year off their ELC and get some NHL Games.
 

Lance Lysowski mentioned on the Maintenance Day Podcast, that quite a few teams around the league are interested in Portillo. If or when, GMKA gets confirmation that Portillo doesn’t want to sign in Buffalo, He can put His Rights on the Trade Market. 
 

Plus there is the possibility Adams might trade for a bonafide Top Goaltender, Gibson and Hellebuyck’s Names have been mentioned as possibly being available, including a Top Goalie Prospect in the return might push the Sabres Bid over the Top 

[Pimlach]

10 minutes ago, Sabel79 said:

There are an awful lot of unstated assumptions doing an awful lot of work here.  

The next "great' Sabres goalie isn't even a concern right now.  We need to worry about the next entirely competent #1.  Neither of these guys were even going to be that for the Sabres next season, no matter how high they may someday climb.

Read and comprehend.   

There are no unstated assumptions.  The fan base is absolutely waiting for the next great Sabres goalie, whether it is a current prospect or someone else.  No team wins anything without that.  If the FO does not get serious about getting an NHL goalie on this team you can expect another empty arena.  

I never said either of the prospects would play in the NHL next season but I hoped to see Portillo in Rochester.  I said that losing Portilllo would be considered another negative towards Buffalo by the hockey world.   Which it would. 

Edited April 10, 2022 by Pimlach

[kas23]

8 minutes ago, Sabel79 said:

There are an awful lot of unstated assumptions doing an awful lot of work here.  

The next "great' Sabres goalie isn't even a concern right now.  We need to worry about the next entirely competent #1.  Neither of these guys were even going to be that for the Sabres next season, no matter how high they may someday climb.

But that’s the essence of the problem. I sure hope nobody thought they were going to be the savior next season, but now, they won’t even have the chance in the year after next year. So, now we are looking out to at least 3 seasons. I could see the Sabres signing a stop-gap for 2 years, maybe. But this team isn’t going to wait around 3 years for long-term competent goaltending. We’re likely going to sign such a player this off-season. Both of them just made their jump much harder. I think Levi may be able to overcome this, but I have my doubts about Portillo. 

[Marvin]

I would trade both Portillo and Levi for goaltenders who are further along.  I don't care that they are both as close to sure things as goaltenders can be, we have to face facts: they both have crystal clear paths to the NHL in Buffao and neither took it.  That means that they either don't want to be in the NHL or don't want to be in Buffalo.  Assuming that they want to be in the NHL, that means they won't be coming to Buffalo and will go the Adam Fox route to force themselves onto their preferred teams (Detroit, Boston) or the Cal Petersen route.  It will be very deflating for the guys who were here this year and could undo all of the good done this year.  If we trade them for more developed goaltenders now, we can put the franchise on surer footing in goal because right now, the foundation is UPL and Malcolm Subban.  That's not good enough.

[kas23]

2 minutes ago, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:

I would trade both Portillo and Levi for goaltenders who are further along.  I don't care that they are both as close to sure things as goaltenders can be, we have to face facts: they both have crystal clear paths to the NHL in Buffao and neither took it.  That means that they either don't want to be in the NHL or don't want to be in Buffalo.  Assuming that they want to be in the NHL, that means they won't be coming to Buffalo and will go the Adam Fox route to force themselves onto their preferred teams (Detroit, Boston) or the Cal Petersen route.  It will be very deflating for the guys who were here this year and could undo all of the good done this year.  If we trade them for more developed goaltenders now, we can put the franchise on surer footing in goal because right now, the foundation is UPL and Malcolm Subban.  That's not good enough.

I have high hopes for Levi, but neither are sure bets to become NHL regulars, especially Portillo. I would’ve hoped he would have taken this coming year to become better, which professional competition would’ve done. But, apparently he’s not going to. Keep Levi as a lottery ticket, but ship Portillo out for someone either further along or part of a package for a RHD. In reality, we aren’t going to roll with all 3 of our young goalies. 

[tom webster]

27 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

It’s  much more than that.   Being shunned is worse than him signing and being mediocre or less.  
 

We haven’t had a decent NHL goalie since Ryan Miller.  We just went thru a season where Uhlmark left us, and they scrambled just to get Anderson and Dell.  The goaltending cost us a chance to at least compete for 8th in the conference.
 

The fan base is banking on one of UPL, Portillo, or Levi, being the next great Sabres goalie.  Portillo and Levi can get out by staying in school, which is what they are doing.  
 

The culture is changing within the team but the perception from the outside will not change until we start winning. We are in  a historic NHL playoff drought that cannot end unless we improve the goaltending.  
 

Players, prospects, coaches, FO people, media and fans, all know we are in hockey hell.  Hence the reaction should be understandable by another Sabres fan. 

I expect the Sabres to be very good long before Portillo or Levi is NHL ready. Portillo wasn’t even considered amongst the top NCAA goalies let alone a top NHL prospect. He may end up being such but the fact remains that very few of these NCAA free agents end up being worth all the consternation. For every Adam Fox there are 10 Dan DeKeyser’s.

All that being said, it’s not a slam dunk he doesn’t sign with Buffalo anyway. 
 

All in all, it doesn’t rank in the top 20 questions that I consider when I project where I think the Sabres will be in the near future.

[dudacek]

It’s interesting that Kris Baker is reporting that 3 seasons in Michigan was always the plan for Portillo. He’s just decided to stick with it.

This is a good test of the good will Adams and Seamus Kotyk have built and can continue to build with Portillo.

If his reason for returning to college is truly college, there are two possible incentives for him to jump from the organization that has nurtured him: discomfort and opportunity. That’s generally why people change jobs.

We have no way of knowing what he thinks about either.

[dudacek]

7 minutes ago, tom webster said:

I expect the Sabres to be very good long before Portillo or Levi is NHL ready. Portillo wasn’t even considered amongst the top NCAA goalies let alone a top NHL prospect. He may end up being such but the fact remains that very few of these NCAA free agents end up being worth all the consternation. For every Adam Fox there are 10 Dan DeKeyser’s.

All that being said, it’s not a slam dunk he doesn’t sign with Buffalo anyway. 
 

All in all, it doesn’t rank in the top 20 questions that I consider when I project where I think the Sabres will be in the near future.

Agree with this except the bold. I think you are underestimating Portillo’s potential. He season this year has generally pushed him onto a number of top 10 goalie prospect lists.

[Sabel79]

39 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Read and comprehend.   

There are no unstated assumptions.  The fan base is absolutely waiting for the next great Sabres goalie, whether it is a current prospect or someone else.  No team wins anything without that.  If the FO does not get serious about getting an NHL goalie on this team you can expect another empty arena.  

I never said either of the prospects would play in the NHL next season but I hoped to see Portillo in Rochester.  I said that losing Portilllo would be considered another negative towards Buffalo by the hockey world.   Which it would. 

Nothing thus far makes it a guarantee he's lost; and on the other side there's never been a guarantee he is/was going to be the next Miller or what have you.  There are many non-"Because Buffalo" explanations for Portillo going back to school.   Even if he is planning on sitting until he hits UFA, it's not a problem current management made nor can they do much about it if that's what is happening.

32 minutes ago, kas23 said:

But that’s the essence of the problem. I sure hope nobody thought they were going to be the savior next season, but now, they won’t even have the chance in the year after next year. So, now we are looking out to at least 3 seasons. I could see the Sabres signing a stop-gap for 2 years, maybe. But this team isn’t going to wait around 3 years for long-term competent goaltending. We’re likely going to sign such a player this off-season. Both of them just made their jump much harder. I think Levi may be able to overcome this, but I have my doubts about Portillo. 

There is simply going to have to be someone (or multiple someoones) else coming in for next year, and the year after that.  And probably the year after that.  This team is so close to relevance, even me at my most chronically disappointed Sabres fan can not envision a situation in which this isn't recognized by management and further not acted upon. 

[Doohickie]

1 hour ago, klos1963 said:

What do you think?

Why do you want to know?

[Pimlach]

2 hours ago, tom webster said:

I expect the Sabres to be very good long before Portillo or Levi is NHL ready. Portillo wasn’t even considered amongst the top NCAA goalies let alone a top NHL prospect. He may end up being such but the fact remains that very few of these NCAA free agents end up being worth all the consternation. For every Adam Fox there are 10 Dan DeKeyser’s.

All that being said, it’s not a slam dunk he doesn’t sign with Buffalo anyway. 
 

All in all, it doesn’t rank in the top 20 questions that I consider when I project where I think the Sabres will be in the near future.

Fair.  But in order for the Sabres to reach the level of very good they need a very good NHL goalie.  
 

You expect that long before Portillo and Levi  are ready, the Sabres will be very good.  What year will that be?    I do not think they can improve much further without addressing the goaltending this offseason.  

Edited April 10, 2022 by Pimlach