What To Do With UPL?

[SABRES 0311]

2 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

For one thing we don’t know if Ellis is better.  Maybe the coaches see it in practice but games will tell us more. 

I think they need more looks at Ellis before moving UPL. 

That’s not the question. Nobody should need more looks at UPL to see what he can do when he’s already played a number of years here. We already know what he is capable of and yesterday was it.

[erickompositör72]

4 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

He is going to make an appearance again and soon whether we like it or not.  Adams invested big $ in UPL (as usual after only one good season) as part of his "rebuild plan" and he's going to try to make the failed investment work.  Sorry but that is the truth.  The best we can hope for in the short term is that he craps the bed again and forces Adams' hand.

 

2 hours ago, GoPuckYourself said:

We know exactly what UPL is at this point, barely even a backup at the NHL level so let's see if Ellis is any better than an AHL Starter/Backup. To force feed UPL because we overpaid him is terrible which is probably why Adams will start him.

With the seemingly positive developments recently as far as how the team has been put together, I'm becoming more and more hopeful that Adams is now in a position where such a stupid decision could be "vetoed."

[French Collection]

5 hours ago, SABRES 0311 said:

So if the idea is UPL looks no different then why would anyone say he needs more looks? We already have multiple seasons worth.

KA needs multiple kicks to the groin before he decides to move on from his goalie of choice. He believes in the guys he is paying big bucks to and stubbornly hopes for a turnaround.

Another 2 good games by Ellis and another clunker by UPL would be enough for me. This could take a while.

[SABRES 0311]

1 hour ago, French Collection said:

KA needs multiple kicks to the groin before he decides to move on from his goalie of choice. He believes in the guys he is paying big bucks to and stubbornly hopes for a turnaround.

Another 2 good games by Ellis and another clunker by UPL would be enough for me. This could take a while.

Or one game of good team defense makes UPL look like a Vezina winner and then we’re screwed 😂 

[mjd1001]

Don't the 1st and 3rd choices mean pretty much the same thing?

[bob_sauve28]

59 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

Don't the 1st and 3rd choices mean pretty much the same thing?

Ya, I guess. 

[Mr. MVP]

I’m sure this has been said but I don’t have the time today to read the whole thread. 
But it’s been ONE GAME for Ellis and UPL.  The likely odds are Ellis won’t keep playing as good as he did in his one game.  UPL may or may not play as bad as he did in his one game. 
 

[Archie Lee]

It’s real early in the year, probably too early to draw conclusions on anything. For some perspective though, two goalies who burst out last year as young #1s, are Sam Montembeault in Montreal and Dustin Wolf in Calgary. Per MoneyPuck, they finished +25.6 and +11.9 in GSAx last year. They were big factors in their teams either making the playoffs or hanging in the race longer than anticipated. Through the first two weeks of this season, they are at the bottom with GSAx of -6.3 and -5.1 respectively. 

Edited 8 hours ago by Archie Lee

[LGR4GM]

23 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

It’s real early in the year, probably too early to draw conclusions on anything. For some perspective though, two goalies who burst out last year as young #1s, are Sam Montembeault in Montreal and Dustin Wolf in Calgary. Per MoneyPuck, they finished +25.6 and +11.9 in GSAx last year. They were big factors in their teams either making the playoffs or hanging in the race longer than anticipated. Through the first two weeks of this season, they are at the bottom with GSAx of -6.3 and -5.1 respectively. 

What's upls GSAx from last year and this year?

[PromoTheRobot]

I predict:

Lyon vs CBS

Ellis on the road at Boston

UPL at home vs WSH.

[Archie Lee]

4 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

What's upls GSAx from last year and this year?

It’s very poor. But we probably shouldn’t expect Lyon, whose record behind this team is 3-4, to continue to give us Vézina-level Ryan Miller play, either.  The point is simply that it is early. 

[Taro T]

9 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

I predict:

Lyon vs CBS

Ellis on the road at Boston

UPL at home vs WSH.

iF they are bound and determined to give UPL one of the next 3 starts (personally not completely convinced of that), they have to give him C-Bus.  That is going to be the easiest of the 3 tests (when crowds are factored in along with talent of opponent).  Friendly confines; no Ovechkin.

 

Am hoping for Lyon - Ellis - Lyon with the B's game being a tossup between riding Lyon all week and giving Ellis the other start he's earned.

[LGR4GM]

22 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

It’s very poor. But we probably shouldn’t expect Lyon, whose record behind this team is 3-4, to continue to give us Vézina-level Ryan Miller play, either.  The point is simply that it is early. 

Ik, was just curious about the numbers. 

17 minutes ago, Taro T said:

iF they are bound and determined to give UPL one of the next 3 starts (personally not completely convinced of that), they have to give him C-Bus.  That is going to be the easiest of the 3 tests (when crowds are factored in along with talent of opponent).  Friendly confines; no Ovechkin.

 

Am hoping for Lyon - Ellis - Lyon with the B's game being a tossup between riding Lyon all week and giving Ellis the other start he's earned.

Idk, I think Washington makes the most sense because of practice time. Could see them using upl as a backup for Lyon though. 

[WhenWillItEnd66]

UPL needs to be given a chance. He does well, or he fails. We cannot continue with the Hydra goalie situation. 

[SwampD]

I think he gets the net tomorrow against the Blue Jackets. ***** or get off the pot.

[Pimlach]

I am going to say something that will not be popular. 

UPL is going to get a fair look and he will get every benefit of the doubt.  They have invested in him and he has a big contract.   That one day conditioning assignment tells us something about the kid glove treatment he is getting.   This 3 man goalie thing could take awhile.  

Ellis is pretty much an unknown as an NHL goalie and his path could be similar to Levi's - good games mixed with bad, with ups and downs.  Ellis is going to have to really be promising to take over the #2.  

Unless there is a GM out there that wants UPL in trade, he is not going anywhere soon.   I would think more GMs would gamble on Ellis before taking UPL and his contract.  

Edited 4 hours ago by Pimlach

[matter2003]

Firing squad?

Concrete Shoes offshore of the Erie Basin Marina late one night?

Kidnap him and move him to a safe house where nobody will ever find him? 

Banish him to Siberia?

In all seriousness, dump him for whatever you can get.

Edited 7 hours ago by matter2003

[matter2003]

50 minutes ago, WhenWillItEnd66 said:

UPL needs to be given a chance. He does well, or he fails. We cannot continue with the Hydra goalie situation. 

He already had multiple chances and the only time he did well was when he had to fight for something. When he was made "the guy", his play fell off a cliff and it looked like he was unprepared, unfocused and was not mentally sharp.

[Taro T]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

Ik, was just curious about the numbers. 

Idk, I think Washington makes the most sense because of practice time. Could see them using upl as a backup for Lyon though. 

How much more actual practice time would he get playing Saturday rather than Tuesday?  They presumably have a real practice today.  Tomorrow they have a morning game day skate.  Wednesday they travel (or do they fly out late Tuesday after the BJ game?).  Thursday game day morning skate.  Friday - travel (see Wednesday's comment).  Saturday game day morning skate.

Suppose that could get him more back into the rhythm; but it won't really gain him much practice time.

Would much rather they wait a couple of weeks to get him back inbetween the pipes; though that's likely a pipedream.

[pi2000]

At this point, Lyon is your starter.     

Alternate Ellis and UPL as the backup.  

Let UPL work his way back in, give him a start here and there over the next few weeks, or until Lyon falters.  

Keep all 3 on the roster for now.

[msw2112]

In hindsight, most here agree that the Sabres overreacted to UPL's great half-season in 2024 when they gave him the big contract and made him the unquestioned starter.  Would it also be an overreaction to dump UPL after Lyon has played well for 3 weeks?  And Ellis played well in ONE start?  UPL was bad last year, and I just had a feeling that he would not be able to step up and hold the lead in the last Toronto game.  Sadly, he proved me right.  The Toronto tying goal could have/should have been stopped and, while it's true that stopping a Hall of Fame forward on a breakaway in OT is a lot to ask, sometimes your goalie has to make a big play for the team to win the game, and UPL did not have it in him.

So what I'm saying is that I'm not super high on UPL right now, but getting rid of him at this point because Lyon has played well for 3 weeks and Ellis for 1 game would be an overreaction.  They need to roll with 3, as bad as that might be, and see how things shake out.  UPL is STILL only 25, and many goalies don't hit their prime until closer to 30 (and some after 30).

[sabresouth]

I am convinced that the team doesn't play the same in front of UPL. I think he has let them down too many times. The team is just starting to play the right way. I don't want to see them slip back into how they played last year. Which is what happens when UPL let's in a soft goal. I was surprised they even made it to OT. I really don't want UPL playing any games. Play Lyon, Ellis and Lev. It's all on ka that we are in this "hope our goalies keep us in it" crap. I am so tired of ka's too little too late mentality. 

[steveoath]

Waive him

[SHAAAUGHT!!!]

Things I think most of us would agree on:

1) UPL is injury prone, and we will need to always have a solid 1b option if UPL is on the roster

2) Non-elite goalies (outside the top 10) are streaky from season to season, and even within seasons, so it's still a bit early to move on from UPL as he is only 26 has shown he can win in this league even though he's never had a good team in front of him

3) $4.75M AAV is tied for 24th in the league (https://puckpedia.com/players/search?s=162&r=0&ss=162), and this contract only gets better as the cap and salaries continue to rise, even as a 1B, as 

Maybe more contentious:

4) UPL was overused last year due to unreliable backups, which led to a drastic falloff in perfomance

5) This was UPLs first game of the season and is still unlikely 100% because Ruff confirmed the plan was to use Ellis but Ellis wasn't 100% and wasn't ready to go for Satruday's game

6) UPL's contract will be easy to trade to a non-playoff or bubble team looking to shore up goaltending without having to package the deal or retain salary because he only has a 5 team no trade clause that starts next year and the contract is low-risk to anyone struggling to find a goaltender

[Mr. MVP]

15 minutes ago, steveoath said:

Waive him

A lot of people thought our starting goalie tandem this year was going to be UPL and Levi.  Wouldn’t it be funny if we waived UPL, he clears, and reports to Rochester?

There would be the starting duo….  Just not in Buffalo.