The Crease on Opening Night

[Archie Lee]

30 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

So Levi is in Rochester, UPL is injured again, They picked up a journeyman (actually 2 of them).

Not that I was expecting to know more..but one week until the regular season starts, and I feel we know NOTHING more about the goaltending prospects for the season than we did over the last few months. You could not write a script of a situation that gives you less insight into their goaltending at the end of camp.

Barring major injuries, I am thinking goaltending (not defensive play or scoring) will determine the fate of this team.  I feel I KNOW the defensmen are still flawed but should be slightly better than last year. I feel they will be at least a top-half of the league scoring forward group. 

Goaltending I can't even guess. Its a total mystery to me.

 

The current Levi situation is an example of how the organization has painted itself into corners under Adams.  Levi was given an NHL job to start each of the last two seasons. I feel comfortable saying that these were bad decisions for two reasons:  1.) Levi was not ready, and 2.) The lack of a sound defensive structure made being in Buffalo a poor environment for goalie development. Now we are heading into Levi’s third full year as a pro, the Sabres are staring at 15 years out of the playoffs, the starting goalie is injured, Levi may well be their objectively best option in net, and the organization is, seemingly, committed to letting him cook in the AHL. Bad decisions have a way of compounding. I’m not saying it is a bad decision to let Levi cook this year, but Adams has put himself  in a spot where he has no wiggle-room for making further mistakes with Levi.

Hopefully Luukkonen was just pulled from the last game out of an abundance of caution. 

[JohnC]

26 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

The current Levi situation is an example of how the organization has painted itself into corners under Adams.  Levi was given an NHL job to start each of the last two seasons. I feel comfortable saying that these were bad decisions for two reasons:  1.) Levi was not ready, and 2.) The lack of a sound defensive structure made being in Buffalo a poor environment for goalie development. Now we are heading into Levi’s third full year as a pro, the Sabres are staring at 15 years out of the playoffs, the starting goalie is injured, Levi may well be their objectively best option in net, and the organization is, seemingly, committed to letting him cook in the AHL. Bad decisions have a way of compounding. I’m not saying it is a bad decision to let Levi cook this year, but Adams has put himself  in a spot where he has no wiggle-room for making further mistakes with Levi.

Hopefully Luukkonen was just pulled from the last game out of an abundance of caution. 

As you point out, the irony is that although the GM has not handled the goalie position strategically in not having an adequate backup plan if UPL faltered, his more patient handling of Levi is in the long run (near short term) the right approach to take for the player and organization. My hope is that with a lot of game experience in the AHL that he will be better prepared when called up to the NHL. And considering how injury prone UPL is, I see that happening this season. 

KA is a tactical thinker in a position that calls for strategic thinking. And that narrow approach has plagued this organization for a long time. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

56 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

The current Levi situation is an example of how the organization has painted itself into corners under Adams.  Levi was given an NHL job to start each of the last two seasons. I feel comfortable saying that these were bad decisions for two reasons:  1.) Levi was not ready, and 2.) The lack of a sound defensive structure made being in Buffalo a poor environment for goalie development. Now we are heading into Levi’s third full year as a pro, the Sabres are staring at 15 years out of the playoffs, the starting goalie is injured, Levi may well be their objectively best option in net, and the organization is, seemingly, committed to letting him cook in the AHL. Bad decisions have a way of compounding. I’m not saying it is a bad decision to let Levi cook this year, but Adams has put himself  in a spot where he has no wiggle-room for making further mistakes with Levi.

Hopefully Luukkonen was just pulled from the last game out of an abundance of caution. 

IF the Sabres management made good decisions, the Sabres wouldn't be where they are.  

The truth is Adams and Pegula have no idea how to actually build a hockey team.  There is no plan and never was.  They had the goalie they needed in Ullmark but let him walk.  Instead they crafted the "waiting for Levi/UPL" strategy and then never worked to set up the defense in front of any goaltender.  To bolster the D and goaltending while we waited for a prospects to emerge, Adams added Subban, Dell, Anderson, Reimer, Comrie, Houser, and Tokarski in goal and Clifton, JDB, Gilbert, Clague, Erik Johnson, Lyubushkin, Stillman, Pysyk, Miller, Hagg, and Butcher on defense.  Is it any wonder why the Sabres have had the worst defense and goaltending in the NHL for the last 5 years?

All of this was preventable.  

[That Aud Smell]

6 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

The truth is Adams and Pegula have no idea how to actually build a hockey team.  There is no plan and never was. 

they're just working off vibes.

and by "they" i principally mean terry.

this team is a product of his vision.

[Porous Five Hole]

Georgiev’s preseason:
.872 in 160 minutes of play.
If you subtract the very first preseason game, 40 min and zero goals against, when he played the BJ’s AHL team, he's at .862.

Levi should get any starts that were supposed to go to Georgiev.

[PerreaultForever]

13 hours ago, That Aud Smell said:

they're just working off vibes.

and by "they" i principally mean terry.

this team is a product of his vision.

Yes, there is a consistency to the futility and the vision comes from him. 

I've said it before and will repeat it often. We all should have walked out the door with LaFontaine. He knew. He saw it coming. 

Edited Saturday at 02:39 AM by PerreaultForever

[Pimlach]

On 10/2/2025 at 11:47 AM, K-9 said:

 

[Thorny]

14 hours ago, JohnC said:

As you point out, the irony is that although the GM has not handled the goalie position strategically in not having an adequate backup plan if UPL faltered, his more patient handling of Levi is in the long run (near short term) the right approach to take for the player and organization. My hope is that with a lot of game experience in the AHL that he will be better prepared when called up to the NHL. And considering how injury prone UPL is, I see that happening this season. 

KA is a tactical thinker in a position that calls for strategic thinking. And that narrow approach has plagued this organization for a long time. 

He hasn’t handled Levi patiently at all 

[K-9]

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

 

[Flashsabre]

I think everything lays on Lyon’s shoulders.

UPL can’t stay healthy and is dicey when he is, Georgiev inspires no confidence and Levi is in Rochester. 

[Dr. Who]

6 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

I think everything lays on Lyon’s shoulders.

UPL can’t stay healthy and is dicey when he is, Georgiev inspires no confidence and Levi is in Rochester. 

Look at any sport. The teams that are routinely bad have bad ownership. Everything Pegula does is wing-and-a-prayer combined with obtuse stubbornness. Imagine going into year fifteen of not making the playoffs in a league where it shouldn't be that hard, and relying on this combo in goal. 

Edited Saturday at 01:23 PM by Dr. Who

[7+6=13]

18 minutes ago, Dr. Who said:

Look at any sport. The teams that are routinely bad have bad ownership. Everything Pegula does is wing-and-a-prayer combined with obtuse stubbornness. Imagine going into year fifteen of not making the playoffs in a league where it shouldn't be that hard, and relying on this combo in goal. 

Any sport?

[JohnC]

10 hours ago, Thorny said:

He hasn’t handled Levi patiently at all 

You are right that he was initially rushed. And that was a mistake for the player and organization. However, it seems that is not the case now. I wouldn't be surprised if Levi ends up with the big club this season. But at least it would be after some extended play in Rochester. 

 

21 minutes ago, 7+6=13 said:

Any sport?

Not only any sport but in any field of endeavor. Bad ownership is a recipe for failure in any enterprise. Terry Pegula has owned the Sabres for approximately 15 years. What no one can say is that he has been a passive owner. Maybe now he is less involved in the operation but the organization is staffed and structured the way he wants it to be. The record is the record. 

[SabreFinn]

Lyon will definitely get the starters job. Levi should be backup until Luukkonen is ready. 

I really hope they are looking for goaltender upgrades. Georgiev is bad. Luukkonen has history with injuries. Levi has not proved anything in nhl yet. And Lyon is a backup, a reliable one, but still a backup. 

I don't know if either team would do a in division trade, but Korpisalo in Boston would do the job better than our current goalies.

[DarthEbriate]

17 minutes ago, SabreFinn said:

Lyon will definitely get the starters job. Levi should be backup until Luukkonen is ready. 

I really hope they are looking for goaltender upgrades. Georgiev is bad. Luukkonen has history with injuries. Levi has not proved anything in nhl yet. And Lyon is a backup, a reliable one, but still a backup. 

I don't know if either team would do a in division trade, but Korpisalo in Boston would do the job better than our current goalies.

Fully agree on Lyon. You got him to be the steady veteran backup. Use him. Don’t do him like they did Reimer last year. 

Waive Georgiev and let Levi play until Luukkonen is back.

Regarding Korpisalo, with the exception of his brief time in LA (and their good defensive game) I don’t see anything inspiring more confidence than I’ve seen with Luukkonen. 

[SabreFinn]

13 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

Fully agree on Lyon. You got him to be the steady veteran backup. Use him. Don’t do him like they did Reimer last year. 

Waive Georgiev and let Levi play until Luukkonen is back.

Regarding Korpisalo, with the exception of his brief time in LA (and their good defensive game) I don’t see anything inspiring more confidence than I’ve seen with Luukkonen. 

Korpisalo was the first that came to my mind. There might be other and better options. However, he has looked good lately and seems to be healthy. I would definitely take him over Luukkonen in current situation, but we would still need to pay Luukkonen if we get another goalie, I can't see anyone take that contract. 

[rickshaw]

On 10/3/2025 at 6:27 AM, GASabresIUFAN said:

IF the Sabres management made good decisions, the Sabres wouldn't be where they are.  

The truth is Adams and Pegula have no idea how to actually build a hockey team.  There is no plan and never was.  They had the goalie they needed in Ullmark but let him walk.  Instead they crafted the "waiting for Levi/UPL" strategy and then never worked to set up the defense in front of any goaltender.  To bolster the D and goaltending while we waited for a prospects to emerge, Adams added Subban, Dell, Anderson, Reimer, Comrie, Houser, and Tokarski in goal and Clifton, JDB, Gilbert, Clague, Erik Johnson, Lyubushkin, Stillman, Pysyk, Miller, Hagg, and Butcher on defense.  Is it any wonder why the Sabres have had the worst defense and goaltending in the NHL for the last 5 years?

All of this was preventable.  

Wow, reading that list of goalies and defense is absolutely sad. No wonder they’re where they’re at.

[CallawaySabres]

Am I the only person who thinks it is a gigantic red flag that Levi cannot crack the starting goalie lineup with the garbage they have on the roster?

I mean, UpL is out and he is STILL not one of our top 2?? What  happened to this guy?

Why have they not traded for a starting goalie? Give up prospects and 1st rounders for all I care…