The Crease on Opening Night

[dudacek]

1 minute ago, Porous Five Hole said:

As bad as UPL was last year, these other guys are stiffs. 
 

Georgiev hasn’t had a save percentage above .900 or a GAA of lower than 3 in the last three seasons.  He’s cooked. I guess he was signed so Levi can go to ROC?

Alex Lyon at age 32 has started less NHL games than 26 year old UPL in their careers.  Their career stats are on par with each other. They’re the same guy except UPL has handled a starter’s workload before and can still improve with experience.  
 

It’s a bad situation and Zucker’s hope is a ***** strategy applies here. 

Not arguing your point, but Georgiev posted an excellent 2.51 and .919 3 seasons ago, and a "better than the others" 3.02 and .898 2 seasons ago. 

He was god-awful last year.

[JohnC]

Just now, dudacek said:

Not arguing your point, but Georgiev posted an excellent 2.51 and .919 3 seasons ago, and a "better than the others" 3.02 and .898 2 seasons ago. 

He was god-awful last year.

As you are indicating, other than the few top tier goalies, it is such a tough position to judge players. One year a goalie will seem to emerge only to plummet the next year. It’s a crazy psychological position to gage. A good way to work around that unpredictability is to have a good defense and two-way and responsible play from the rest of roster. 

[French Collection]

Maybe having 4 goalies that are capable of playing NHL hockey adds a layer of accountability. If you aren’t cutting it, you get cut. Training camp and the pre season are not enough to hitch your wagon to one guy but a short leash with possible “good” alternatives helps the team. Negotiating a 4 headed monster with waivers will be a challenge, with Levi being the only exempt guy.

The problem with these 4 is there is no history of them being the guy for more than just short stretches. Georgiev had one good year while UPL has had one mostly good year. Lyon has been a career backup with some good runs while Levi has been the man at the lower levels.

[ponokasabre]

3 minutes ago, French Collection said:

Maybe having 4 goalies that are capable of playing NHL hockey adds a layer of accountability. If you aren’t cutting it, you get cut. Training camp and the pre season are not enough to hitch your wagon to one guy but a short leash with possible “good” alternatives helps the team. Negotiating a 4 headed monster with waivers will be a challenge, with Levi being the only exempt guy.

The problem with these 4 is there is no history of them being the guy for more than just short stretches. Georgiev had one good year while UPL has had one mostly good year. Lyon has been a career backup with some good runs while Levi has been the man at the lower levels.

With UPL not even skating yet (i haven't seen he has anywhere, maybe I'm wrong?) you have to think it will be Georgiev getting the starts and Lyon backing up. Levi goes to Roch to play his ass off and work to steal a job.

 

Then when UPL comes back id assume whoever is playing the best between Georgiev and Lyon stays

[French Collection]

Just now, ponokasabre said:

With UPL not even skating yet (i haven't seen he has anywhere, maybe I'm wrong?) you have to think it will be Georgiev getting the starts and Lyon backing up. Levi goes to Roch to play his ass off and work to steal a job.

 

Then when UPL comes back id assume whoever is playing the best between Georgiev and Lyon stays

I am not sure when he comes back but thought that he wasn’t too far off.

[matter2003]

1 hour ago, Porous Five Hole said:

As bad as UPL was last year, these other guys are stiffs. 
 

Georgiev hasn’t had a save percentage above .900 or a GAA of lower than 3 in the last three seasons.  He’s cooked. I guess he was signed so Levi can go to ROC?

Alex Lyon at age 32 has started less NHL games than 26 year old UPL in their careers.  Their career stats are on par with each other. They’re the same guy except UPL has handled a starter’s workload before and can still improve with experience.  
 

It’s a bad situation and Zucker’s hope is a ***** strategy applies here. 

I don't care about what happened in other seasons.  I only care about what happens THIS SEASON, in games they play here, moving forward.  If one of the goalies starts off playing well, you play them until they stop playing well.  UPL needs to first show that is even an option here, he is the one who we know the most about and he was abysmal. Everyone else gets a bigger benefit of the doubt with a new team and new situation until they, like UPL, proves they don't deserve it.

Edited 3 hours ago by matter2003

[PerreaultForever]

1 hour ago, matter2003 said:

I don't care about what happened in other seasons.  I only care about what happens THIS SEASON, in games they play here, moving forward.  If one of the goalies starts off playing well, you play them until they stop playing well.  UPL needs to first show that is even an option here, he is the one who we know the most about and he was abysmal. Everyone else gets a bigger benefit of the doubt with a new team and new situation until they, like UPL, proves they don't deserve it.

They might keep 3 goalies up but if both Lyon and Georgiev are playing well you try to trade UPL (unlikely with his salary) and if there's no trade you waive him and send UPL down. Nobody is picking up that salary unless they are goalie desperate at the moment. If there is someone goalie desperate there's your trade. 

 

Otherwise, obviously if Georgiev or Lyon are not playing well then you just waive one of them. No big deal. 

[Taro T]

If all 3 of the healthy guys continue to play well over the next 2-44 games, a BIG if, wonder if they'd hold off on getting UPL any game action in the preseason to be able to send him down to Ra-cha-cha on a conditioning assignment buying themselves a bit more time to make a move with one of the 3 guys that would have to be waived to play for the Amerks.

Of course, with Reimer getting claimed last year trying to send him down late, they might decide its best to waive goalie 4 (Levi is 3 unless he earns 1) at the roster cut down day to try to sneak him through when there are literally 100's of names on the waiver wire.

Will be interesting to watch either way.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

FUCALE!!

😎