2023-24 Sabres Early Thoughts

[tom webster]

7 hours ago, JohnC said:

Ullmark was drafted in 2012. It wasn't clear until last year that he could be a good goalie in the NHL. He'll be 30 in July. Ukkoi-Pekka Luukkonen was drafted in 2017. He is 23 yrs. old. Do you think that the GM is going to give up on him at this still early stage in his development? I don't. If another team claims him because he is out of options, then so be it. But making a too quick decision on his prospects as a NHL goalie would be a mistake. I believe that the GM is not willing to make a determinative judgment just yet. If he was included in a package that brought back a high quality goalie, I would not object. Right now, I see Levi as our #1 goalie next year with Comrie as our #2 goalie. I also see UPL in the mix. 

Buffalo and Boston both knew Ullmark would be a hood goalie before last year. The only difference between the two organizations was a little inexperience on one of the GM’s part.

[Brawndo]

1 hour ago, tom webster said:

Buffalo and Boston both knew Ullmark would be a hood goalie before last year. The only difference between the two organizations was a little inexperience on one of the GM’s part.

Sometimes, the goalies aren’t buying what Essensa’s selling.

It was that way at first with Ullmark as he transitioned from Buffalo to Boston in 2021. Ullmark had been a push-stop goalie who powered to his spots and squared up to pucks. Essensa believed that by incorporating backflow, Ullmark could stay healthier and get to the rebounds he left behind. 

Ullmark did not initially agree.

“We’ve butted heads — not just a couple times,” Ullmark said. “A fair amount of times in this two-year period. We’re still going to do it. That’s how I want it. I don’t want just a yaysayer or a naysayer. I want to have that back-and-forth conversation and feel like, ‘OK, if this doesn’t work, we should try this.’ Maybe if he sees something, I want him to be honest and say, ‘Hey, this doesn’t work. We have to do this.’ Just have that trust and honesty toward each other. No BS. Because if you start bulls—ing, you can’t really hold each other accountable. Are they honest with me or not?

 

Essensa’s Way worked wonderfully for Linus. 
 

I do wonder if the Sabres should consider replacing Bales 

[Flashsabre]

I was just on another Sabres board.

One poster advocated for trading Tage.😳

Another said Adams should call the St. Louis Blues to see if Alex Pieterangelo was available🤣

I think I need a drink at 9am.😂😂

[GASabresIUFAN]

15 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

 

I was just on another Sabres board.

 

Traitor.

[Buffalonill]

27 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

I was just on another Sabres board.

One poster advocated for trading Tage.😳

Another said Adams should call the St. Louis Blues to see if Alex Pieterangelo was available🤣

I think I need a drink at 9am.😂😂

[GASabresIUFAN]

It was predictable after watching the exit videos that people were going to get sentimental about Z and KO.  After all, they are good guys, they are the definition of want to be here, they are leaders and glue guys, they want to make the playoffs as Sabres, we have the cap room to keep them one more year, KO is so close to 1000 games, etc….

The question is do they makes us better next season? Z has hands of stone and KO’s offense is shrinking by the minute. Our PK stinks and they are 2 key participants. 

We don’t have many roster slots.  At least 9 roster spots are spoken for - TNT, Skinner, Tuch, Mitts, Cozens, JJP, Quinn, Krebs and Greenway.

That leaves 4 slots with 7 internal options, none of which fills the need of a 2 way faceoff winning center.  These options are Jost, VO, KO, Z, plus 3 prospects in Savoie, Rousek and Kulich.  

Savoie is making this team next year.  That leaves 3 slots. When they re-sign RFA Jost, that brings you down to two slots.   If KA brings in someone like Compher or Haula to fill the 2 Way center roster hole, now you are done to 1 open slot and VO is under contract. 

The bottomline is you can’t keep everyone.  GM’s are paid well to make tough decisions and KA has build a strong forward pipeline for a reason.  

Edited April 16, 2023 by GASabresIUFAN

[JohnC]

28 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Traitor.

He's not a traitor. He just needs to drink more. 🍷

[Flashsabre]

14 minutes ago, JohnC said:

He's not a traitor. He just needs to drink more. 🍷

LOL I actually like to visit different boards to get different perspectives.

I will say that this board is head and shoulders above some of the others. And the Hockeybuzz Sabres thread is an absolute wasteland of pettiness and negativity by comparison.

[JohnC]

2 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

LOL I actually like to visit different boards to get different perspectives.

I will say that this board is head and shoulders above some of the others. And the Hockeybuzz Sabres thread is an absolute wasteland of pettiness and negativity by comparison.

I can introduce you to a few of our unyielding and prolific publishing members who might change your mind about this board. 

[dudacek]

2 minutes ago, JohnC said:

I can introduce you to a few of our unyielding and prolific publishing members who might change your mind about this board. 

I gotta disagree with this.

I find Team Storm Cloud, such as it is, is largely populated with thoughtful people who can articulate the “why” behind their views and bring pertinent ideas to the discussion that are worth exploring, no matter where my level of agreement ultimately lands.

We have plenty of stubborn and passionate posters, but very few who represent the “drunk loudmouth at the end of the bar” element of ill-informed obnoxiousness. Those that pop up generally don’t stick around.

Spend 10 minutes on the site he’s referring to and the difference is strikingly obvious.

 

[JohnC]

14 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I gotta disagree with this.

I find Team Storm Cloud, such as it is, is largely populated with thoughtful people who can articulate the “why” behind their views and bring pertinent ideas to the discussion that are worth exploring, no matter where my level of agreement ultimately lands.

We have plenty of stubborn and passionate posters, but very few who represent the “drunk loudmouth at the end of the bar” element of ill-informed obnoxiousness. Those that pop up generally don’t stick around.

Spend 10 minutes on the site he’s referring to and the difference is strikingly obvious.

 

You took the response, especially the picture, too seriously. It's not as harsh as you seem to perceive. 

[Taro T]

On 4/15/2023 at 12:57 AM, dudacek said:

Let the record show that we finished the season just 7 points behind the Lightning.

We were 2 points ahead of them in 2023, and matched up exactly head to head: lost 5-3 and 6-5 in OT, then won 6-5 in OT and 5-3. They will not be better next year. We will.

Next year’s goal should not be a wild card, but top 3 in the division.

Agree.  And do believe that is the team's goal - to be a Stanley Cup contender next season.  Adams specifically has said he won't make winning the Stanley Cup the official hell or high water goal because there is too much luck involved in winning any one particular year.  But his goal is to consistently be a Stanley Cup contender and everything that has happened to date makes me believe that goal legitimately becomes the goal this coming season.

And as such, do believe that he is going to target an upgrade in net, a top 4 D-man, and a 4 C.  Because those are the pieces that are missing to take them from they have a chance of doing that next year to they should be doing that next year.

[thewookie1]

3 hours ago, Flashsabre said:

I was just on another Sabres board.

One poster advocated for trading Tage.😳

Another said Adams should call the St. Louis Blues to see if Alex Pieterangelo was available🤣

I think I need a drink at 9am.😂😂

That might be difficult lol

[Pimlach]

22 hours ago, JohnC said:

Ullmark was drafted in 2012. It wasn't clear until last year that he could be a good goalie in the NHL. He'll be 30 in July. Ukkoi-Pekka Luukkonen was drafted in 2017. He is 23 yrs. old. Do you think that the GM is going to give up on him at this still early stage in his development? I don't. If another team claims him because he is out of options, then so be it. But making a too quick decision on his prospects as a NHL goalie would be a mistake. I believe that the GM is not willing to make a determinative judgment just yet. If he was included in a package that brought back a high quality goalie, I would not object. Right now, I see Levi as our #1 goalie next year with Comrie as our #2 goalie. I also see UPL in the mix. 

How?   Given your prediction, if you see UPL in the mix then we will be carrying 3 goalies on the 23 man roster.   

If Levi is #1, and Comrie is #2, then UPL must clear waivers to play in Rochester.  If UPL cannot make #1, or #2, or clear waivers (assuming we don't keep 3 goalies), then he will not be in the mix. 

More likely, one of either UPL or Comrie will get traded or cut.   

We will not have Comrie and UPL next year unless we keep 3 goalies, or unless Levi is the #3 goalie playing in Rochester, which is doubtful.  

 

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 minute ago, Pimlach said:

How?   Given your prediction, if you see UPL in the mix then we will be carrying 3 goalies on the 23 man roster.   

If Levi is #1, and Comrie is #2, then UPL must clear waivers to play in Rochester.  If UPL cannot make #1, or #2, or clear waivers (assuming we don't keep 3 goalies), then he will not be in the mix. 

More likely, one of either UPL or Comrie will get traded or cut.   

We will not have Comrie and UPL next year unless we keep 3 goalies, or unless Levi is the #3 goalie playing in Rochester, which is doubtful.  

 

 

I said the same thing and got the same response.  

[Dr. Who]

7 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I said the same thing and got the same response.  

Maybe Pimlach is like TV Dad and will get through.

[Pimlach]

16 minutes ago, Dr. Who said:

Maybe Pimlach is like TV Dad and will get through.

As a Dad of three, I can sympathize with "real Dad".   Mine are grown up and gone now, and I got through all the fun of growing up 3 more times with each of them.  

If only I was as smart as my oldest sons group of friends and cohorts.  For some reason that select group of 13 to 17 year old boys just seemed to have more experience and knowledge than I.  Thankfully, during his college years I was able to eventually catch up.  

[JohnC]

2 hours ago, Pimlach said:

How?   Given your prediction, if you see UPL in the mix then we will be carrying 3 goalies on the 23 man roster.   

If Levi is #1, and Comrie is #2, then UPL must clear waivers to play in Rochester.  If UPL cannot make #1, or #2, or clear waivers (assuming we don't keep 3 goalies), then he will not be in the mix. 

More likely, one of either UPL or Comrie will get traded or cut.   

We will not have Comrie and UPL next year unless we keep 3 goalies, or unless Levi is the #3 goalie playing in Rochester, which is doubtful.  

 

 

Do you believe that KA is going to bring another goalie in the offseason? I don't. I expect Levi to be our primary goalie with Comrie and UPL competing for the backup position. If Comrie becomes the backup, then UPL will go to Rochester. If he is claimed, which is a possibility, then so be it. The issue becomes: will another team claim him to be a backup. I'm not sure he has such an appeal for other teams at this point. We'll have to wait and see how things sort out this offseason. Where I diverge with many here is that I don't believe that our GM has foreclosed Comrie as one of our goalies for next year. Many here have a different view. I'm fine with that. 

[Thorny]

1 minute ago, JohnC said:

Do you believe that KA is going to bring another goalie in the offseason? I don't. I expect Levi to be our primary goalie with Comrie and UPL competing for the backup position. If Comrie becomes the backup, then UPL will go to Rochester. If he is claimed, which is a possibility, then so be it. The issue becomes: will another team claim him to be a backup. I'm not sure he has such an appeal for other teams at this point. We'll have to wait and see how things sort out this offseason. Where I diverge with many here is that I don't believe that our GM has foreclosed Comrie as one of our goalies for next year. Many here have a different view. I'm fine with that. 

I’m still unclear as to whether you think KA will bring in a goalie next year..can you expand on this? 

[Flashsabre]

A poster on another site who does have a connection in the organization and has been right on a lot of things said the following:

- Tom Wilson was Plan A at the deadline. Washington were going to rebuild but changed course at the last minute (Ovi probably steppes in And said no rebuild) They pivoted to Greenway right away. They believe they can unlock another level in him.

-look for Luke Tuch. He is not all in on Montreal. He could be a UFA next summer but this year a deal would be a 4th or lower prospect

-Ryan Johnson has changed his mind multiple times. He believes he is entitled to certain things. He says the Sabres are pretty much done with him.

[JohnC]

Just now, Thorny said:

I’m still unclear as to whether you think KA will bring in a goalie next year..can you expand on this? 

No, I don't believe that he will bring in another goalie. I believe that Levi is going to be the primary goalie, with Comrie and UPL competing for the backup. If I had to guess, I would bet that Comrie becomes the main backup. 

If KA is going to make any significant acquisitions, it will be on the blueline. His pursuit of Chycrun indicated to me that is where his attention will be on this offseason.

[Flashsabre]

Amazing how horrible of a coaching job Krueger did here.

So glad Granato is steering the ship.

[Dr. Who]

Fella who I post about who is supposedly related to KA, I dunno, has been offering up a bunch of info today at that scurvy Hockeybuzz site.

Sabres like Luke Tuch. Thinks the cost to get him would be a 4th or low prospect.

Johnson changed his mind (maybe several times I infer) and is entitled with an exaggerated sense of his worth. 

Thinks they are in on P. Kane (unfortunately.) I don't see the point of it, but this may be a Terry Pegula thing.

Tom Wilson was plan A at the trade deadline. Washington looked like a seller and pulled back. With Greenway on the roster, they might not revisit.

UPL and Comrie won't be back in Buffalo. (I'm burying the headline, but typing these out serially as I found them.)

Savoie will be in Buffalo, doubts VO will. They like Okposo and Z but too early to say what happens there.

Says defense is going to be overhauled and new coaches. Happy Birthday.

Could all be fan fiction, just sharing for whatever speculative worth one cares to give it.

 

Edited April 16, 2023 by Dr. Who

[Buffalonill]

53 minutes ago, Dr. Who said:

Fella who I post about who is supposedly related to KA, I dunno, has been offering up a bunch of info today at that scurvy Hockeybuzz site.

Sabres like Luke Tuch. Thinks the cost to get him would be a 4th or low prospect.

Johnson changed his mind (maybe several times I infer) and is entitled with an exaggerated sense of his worth. 

Thinks they are in on P. Kane (unfortunately.) I don't see the point of it, but this may be a Terry Pegula thing.

Tom Wilson was plan A at the trade deadline. Washington looked like a seller and pulled back. With Greenway on the roster, they might not revisit.

UPL and Comrie won't be back in Buffalo. (I'm burying the headline, but typing these out serially as I found them.)

Savoie will be in Buffalo, doubts VO will. They like Okposo and Z but too early to say what happens there.

Says defense is going to be overhauled and new coaches. Happy Birthday.

Could all be fan fiction, just sharing for whatever speculative worth one cares to give it.

 

I'll give the guy props he hasn't been wrong yet

Anything about who the backup will be ?

 

[Randall Flagg]

48 minutes ago, Dr. Who said:

Fella who I post about who is supposedly related to KA, I dunno, has been offering up a bunch of info today at that scurvy Hockeybuzz site.

Sabres like Luke Tuch. Thinks the cost to get him would be a 4th or low prospect.

Johnson changed his mind (maybe several times I infer) and is entitled with an exaggerated sense of his worth. 

Thinks they are in on P. Kane (unfortunately.) I don't see the point of it, but this may be a Terry Pegula thing.

Tom Wilson was plan A at the trade deadline. Washington looked like a seller and pulled back. With Greenway on the roster, they might not revisit.

UPL and Comrie won't be back in Buffalo. (I'm burying the headline, but typing these out serially as I found them.)

Savoie will be in Buffalo, doubts VO will. They like Okposo and Z but too early to say what happens there.

Says defense is going to be overhauled and new coaches. Happy Birthday.

Could all be fan fiction, just sharing for whatever speculative worth one cares to give it.

 

Oof