The Crease on Opening Night

[Porous Five Hole]

16 minutes ago, Big Guava said:

Levi has played worse every year he has been in the NHL. So bad they can't even give him time to try and get adjusted the last 2 years. Until that changes he can't be here.

Sure, but how is that going to change if he doesn’t play here?

The biggest difference between then and now is the pro season he had last year in Rochester (2.20, .917, and seven shutouts in just 42 regular season games). 

[Big Guava]

2 hours ago, Porous Five Hole said:

Sure, but how is that going to change if he doesn’t play here?

The biggest difference between then and now is the pro season he had last year in Rochester (2.20, .917, and seven shutouts in just 42 regular season games). 

He posted better stats the prior year in Rochester in both the regular season and playoffs. Then stunk in the NHL last year when he got an opportunity.

[CallawaySabres]

I hope Lyon wins the job because I already know the other crap options far too well. I can't believe it was over 3 years ago when many thought Levi was the 2nd coming....yikes. I have given up on pretending Levi is anything other than a backup. 

Edited 4 hours ago by CallawaySabres

[dudacek]

2 minutes ago, CallawaySabres said:

I hope Lyon wins the job because I already know the other crap options far too well. I can't believe it was over 3 years ago when many thought Levi was the 2nd coming....yikes. I have given up on pretending Levi is anything other than a backup. 

Devon Levi is clearly not a prodigy, but in terms of typical goalie development he remains well ahead of many current NHL #1s and any Sabres goalie prospect since and including Ryan Miller.

[DarthEbriate]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

Devon Levi is clearly not a prodigy, but in terms of typical goalie development he remains well ahead of many current NHL #1s and any Sabres goalie prospect since and including Ryan Miller.

Ullmark's age 22 season would like a word.

His 23 and 24 seasons as well, though he didn't get much of a chance to play in either of those.

[LGR4GM]

What's Dustin Wolf up to? Asking for no reason, what so ever to do with this conversation. 

[DarthEbriate]

11 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

What's Dustin Wolf up to? Asking for no reason, what so ever to do with this conversation. 

Wolf couldn't even make it into either of Calgary's two split squad games yesterday. Lazy bum clearly was a one-season wonder.

[CallawaySabres]

Why does it seem that most teams have TWO goalies that can play starter level most of the time? I mean, how is Buffalo ever going to make a push if they don't even have one they can rely on. 

Maybe it is just because Buffalo is so inept that they continually make back-up goalies look superior year after year. Can you imagine how bad their record would have been if they constantly played against the starters?

[dudacek]

50 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

Ullmark's age 22 season would like a word.

His 23 and 24 seasons as well, though he didn't get much of a chance to play in either of those.

You’re correct. I forgot about his first year pro over here.

Still took him until his 4th year before he arrived as an NHL full-timer and his 7th before he played 40 games.

Levi has played 2 pro seasons. Goalies take time.

Edited 1 hour ago by dudacek

[Thorny]

11 minutes ago, dudacek said:

You’re correct. I forgot about his first year pro over here.

Still took him until his 4th year before he arrived as an NHL full-timer and his 7th before he played 40 games.

Levi has played 2 pro seasons. Goalies take time.

How many seasons for Ullmark to reach 6’4? 

[dudacek]

Just now, Thorny said:

How many seasons for Ullmark to reach 6’4? 

You’re a short goalies can’t play guy?

[Thorny]

6 minutes ago, dudacek said:

You’re a short goalies can’t play guy?

The history of the nhl is a short goalies can’t play guy.

It’s not that he can’t be one of the rare exceptions that prove the rule, but refusing to state outright that he’s facing far more of an uphill battle than others who have come before him and posted good numbers in lower leagues when shooters can’t expose weaknesses is foolish 

It is unlikely Levi becomes a very good nhl goalie - that’s just the reality. Will be awesome if he proves, I won’t say me wrong, if he proves the logical stance wrong 

Edited 1 hour ago by Thorny

[JP51]

On 9/19/2025 at 11:37 PM, GASabresIUFAN said:

No.  This team can't stay afloat with average or worse goaltending.  That's been my point for years about Adam's waiting for UPL/Levi to develop strategy.   

I posted this before, but it deserves to be repeated.  Here are the Save % for our 4 goalies in the NHL last season.

UPL - 55 games  .887 save %

Levi - 9 games .872 save %

Lyon -  30 games .896 save %

Georgiev - 49 games .875 save %

NHL average goalie .893 save %

When an average NHL goalie is your best option in net for a team desperate to make the playoffs, the GM has failed the organization.

May I add....  When an average NHL goalie is your best option in net year after year after year for a team desperate to make the playoffs since Ryan Miller, Is one of the numerous ways the GM has failed the organization.

Edited 1 hour ago by JP51

[dudacek]

Devon Levi will make you happy to be proven wrong. 

Well, if he’s still a Sabre when it happens, that is. 😁

7 minutes ago, Thorny said:

The history of the nhl is a short goalies can’t play guy.

It’s not that he can’t be one of the rare exceptions that prove the rule, but refusing to state outright that he’s facing far more of an uphill battle than others who have come before him and posted good numbers in lower leagues when shooters can’t expose weaknesses is foolish 

It is unlikely Levi becomes a very good nhl goalie - that’s just the reality. Will be awesome if he proves, I won’t say me wrong, if he proves the logical stance wrong 

 

[Thorny]

9 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Devon Levi will make you happy to be proven wrong. 

Well, if he’s still a Sabre when it happens, that is. 😁

 

And I’ll quote your posts and give you kudos like I always do when and if that happens. I won’t forget, I’d be exceptionally happy to do it. It won’t be the first time nor the last that you dial in on something I totally miss. My modus operandi is rooted in consistency and pattern, not accuracy 

[dudacek]

My confidence in Levi is rooted mostly in watching him play and observing his approach and demeanour off the ice.

That level of natural ability combined with that level of confidence and that level of dedication to craft almost always finds a way.

[Thorny]

10 minutes ago, dudacek said:

My confidence in Levi is rooted mostly in watching him play and observing his approach and demeanour off the ice.

That level of natural ability combined with that level of confidence and that level of dedication to craft almost always finds a way.

I think the distinction for me is that everything you say can be, and likely is true and yet also, I’d wager, merely the requirement for the lion’s share of prospects to carve out a mainstay career in general. The 6’4 guy in net needs that. The 5’10 goalie needs that, and a prodigious development curve to achieve the (relative) “ordinary” success.

Add in what might be expected and or hoped of the Star Wars kid, rightly or wrongly (wrongly) because of who we dealt for him, and let’s just say..again, I’ll just reiterate it’s an uphill battle. In reality and I’d argue perception as well. 

Edited 51 minutes ago by Thorny

[dudacek]

2 minutes ago, Thorny said:

I think the distinction for me is that everything you say can be, and likely is true and yet also, I’d wager, merely the requirement for the lion’s share of prospects to carve out a mainstay career in general. The 6’4 guy in net needs that. The 5’10 goalie needs that, and a prodigious development curve to achieve the (relative) “ordinary” success.

Add in what might be expected and or hoped of the Star Wars kid, rightly or wrongly (wrongly) because of who we dealt for him, and let’s just say..again, I’ll just reiterate it’s an uphill battle. In reality and I’d argue perception as well. 

For sure.

This is exactly the discussion NHL front offices were having prior to the 2021 draft about Lane Hutson.

They’ll all get ***** because they were wrong about Hutson and won’t hear about the six other small offensive defencemen who failed.

Im generally a big fan on betting on people you believe in.

But it’s also one of the biggest reasons why Adams has failed.

[Thorny]

10 minutes ago, dudacek said:

For sure.

This is exactly the discussion NHL front offices were having prior to the 2021 draft about Lane Hutson.

They’ll all get ***** because they were wrong about Hutson and won’t hear about the six other small offensive defencemen who failed.

Im generally a big fan on betting on people you believe in.

But it’s also one of the biggest reasons why Adams has failed.

Betting on who he believed in isn’t the chief reason for failure*, but rather something that became an anchor after a failure to surround said bets with the proper support and more immediate expectation. 

*neither in strategy, nor even largely execution, I’d argue, with a couple notable exceptions perhaps 

Edited 32 minutes ago by Thorny