Annual expectations thread 2023/24: #31 Eric Comrie

[dudacek]

Remember Eric Comrie’s October trip through Alberta? The one where he stopped 86 of the 91 shots thrown at him and led the Sabres in their theft of 4 points? Eric probably does because it was pretty much the only highlight of what was a terribly disappointing season. Signed to be half of a 1A/1B tandem, Comrie instead played just 19 games, and finished with a horrendous .886 SV% — 71st out of the 79 NHL goalies who played at least 10 games.
 
https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=132742

A good portion of Comrie’s struggles could be chalked up to injuries: both his own, and the ones that plagued the Sabres defence corps in the fall. Some have argued that he deserves another chance to prove his excellent numbers from 2021/22 with Winnipeg were not a mirage. Others point to the fact that he is 10 years past his draft and has yet play 50 career NHL games and wonder why we should consider his .897 career SV% to be a mirage. It seem unlikely that the Sabres will carry three goalies into next season and more unlikely that Comrie will be one of the remaining two without clearly outplaying one of his younger rivals in training camp.

What do you expect from Comrie this year?

(Last year’s takes here)

 

[steveoath]

AHL bound or a trade. I don’t think he is in the plans. 

[Claude Balls]

As far from Buffalo as possible. 

[thewookie1]

He is literally up a creek without a paddle, also his boat is leaking. 
 

Comrie, in order to stay in Buffalo, will have to play out of his mind in the preseason in order to keep himself from the waiver wire. He’s not only playing against UPL as a player but his status as a team prospect in addition. UPL has the tie breaker and likely the mulligan on his side.

[dudacek]

Unless Luukkonen craps the bed in camp, Eric will be on an out-of-town flight by October with a late-round pick coming the other way.

Nice guy, fringe NHLer.

[DarthEbriate]

Waived. If unclaimed, a promise to be on speed dial to any other GM who loses a goalie long term. 
And until that trade insurance against injury. Or I suppose poor play by Levi but I don’t see him playing badly enough to warrant a demotion. 

[nfreeman]

Most likely outcome IMHO is waived to Rochester with no one claiming him.  However, I chose best case scenario, as I’ve done for almost all of these.  In this case, I think there is a pretty decent likelihood he outplays UPL in the preseason and earns the job.  If it’s a tie though, I think UPL will get it and Comrie will be waived.  

[Norcal]

Better goaltending play overall

Support the team in his role