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.