Should adding a proven goalie be priority #1 this offseason?

[MoondoggiesLV]

Our season ended in round 2 due to a variety of factors, but I think the biggest factor was unreliable goaltending.  I think it’s likely that I’m going to feel that way until UPL or someone else wins us a cup.  We aren’t in “let’s hope we make the playoffs” mode anymore.  We have the talent to win a Stanley Cup.  

If I’m jarmo- adding a goaltender you can trust come playoffs is priority #1.  UPL, Lyon and Ellis were a great story for the 25-26 season.  We’re in the perfect position to go on a 4 year+ run with the right goalie.

Should we go all in on Hellebuyk?  We’re loaded with talent.  We have the assets to swing a deal.  If not, how about Binnington?   What are the chances that we forget Tuch and roll the dice on the aging Bobrovsky?  

Thoughts?  Should adding a proven goalie be priority #1?  If not- what would be your priority #1.

Edited May 19 by MoondoggiesLV

[Fansince70]

Tuch for Carter Hart

*ducks*

[tom webster]

The answer doesnt really exist. There are two or three “proven” goalies and they aren’t available. Of the final four teams, Montreal might be the most confident in their goalie and he is a rookie who is not even their best prospect at the position.

[MoondoggiesLV]

15 minutes ago, tom webster said:

The answer doesnt really exist. There are two or three “proven” goalies and they aren’t available. Of the final four teams, Montreal might be the most confident in their goalie and he is a rookie who is not even their best prospect at the position.

Ok.  Would you go after a goalie?  If so, which one/s?

[inkman]

26 minutes ago, Fansince70 said:

Tuch for Carter Hart

*ducks*

Sign and trade? Tuch is a UFA.

[#freejame]

Goalies are a crap shoot and private polls are for babies 

[sabrefanday1]

I keep hearing complaints about our goaltenders but lets face it, there are a pile of teams with goaltending that may be worse then ours. It is just not easy getting a established or veteran goalie that is any good...and if we were to add a star goalie it would cost us lots as well as their big contracts and we cannot afford a 8 to 10 million contract for any goalie right now. Goalies take time and we can only hope that our goalies all take a step forward 

[PromoTheRobot]

How exactly does one acquire a proven goalie? Especially when most goalies rarely maintain that high level of play year to year. And if a team does have one, why would they give him up?

2 minutes ago, sabrefanday1 said:

I keep hearing complaints about our goaltenders but lets face it, there are a pile of teams with goaltending that may be worse then ours. It is just not easy getting a established or veteran goalie that is any good...and if we were to add a star goalie it would cost us lots as well as their big contracts and we cannot afford a 8 to 10 million contract for any goalie right now. Goalies take time and we can only hope that our goalies all take a step forward 

We have Levi and Ellis waiting for their shot. 

14 minutes ago, MoondoggiesLV said:

Ok.  Would you go after a goalie?  If so, which one/s?

A good one.

[#freejame]

I wouldn’t be surprised if Lyon plays 40 and Ellis and Levi play the other 44 combined. Both need to clear waivers and either one could be serviceable to play 40 games the year that follows.

Isn’t there a change to the EBUG that allows it to be a real goalie now? 

[BullBuchanan]

Goalie needs to be #1 because this team's defense isn't built to actually be good at defense. I don't see us winning a cup without a top-end elite goalie.

Do whatever is takes to get Hellebuyck or have a plan that just as good that isn't as obvious.

[MoondoggiesLV]

4 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

How exactly does one acquire a proven goalie? Especially when most goalies rarely maintain that high level of play year to year. And if a team does have one, why would they give him up?

We have Levi and Ellis waiting for their shot. 

A good one.

I’m not a hockey talent scout.  Jarmo and his team are better suited to choose a target and go after him.  
 

Considering the talent level on this team (which i see as very high top to bottom, farm system included), would you put your trust in UPL, Ellis and Levi to win the Cup next season?  Leinonen, Ratzlaf owns Leenders in the pipeline.  
 

I like UPL and he’s locked up for 3 more years at almost 5M per but I don’t have any confidence in him going on a Stanley cup run unless the team carries him there.  I suppose we can hope to outgun our opponents every series, it just seems unlikely to happen

[TageMVP]

Nope 

Robert Thomas or nothin 

[PromoTheRobot]

8 minutes ago, MoondoggiesLV said:

I’m not a hockey talent scout.  Jarmo and his team are better suited to choose a target and go after him.  
 

Considering the talent level on this team (which i see as very high top to bottom, farm system included), would you put your trust in UPL, Ellis and Levi to win the Cup next season?  Leinonen, Ratzlaf owns Leenders in the pipeline.  
 

I like UPL and he’s locked up for 3 more years at almost 5M per but I don’t have any confidence in him going on a Stanley cup run unless the team carries him there.  I suppose we can hope to outgun our opponents every series, it just seems unlikely to happen

It's probably worth considering moving on from UPL, if you can get something of value for him. But I'm not a fan of overpaying for a name, hoping they return to form.

[Second Line Center]

Who’s proven in the current final 4?

 

Build the best roster.  Our current cap situation isn’t really conducive to going for a “big time” goalie.  I don’t know who those are anymore.  

[GASabresIUFAN]

We need a no 1 center more than another average goalie.   We could use an upgrade on Stanley and Kesselring to play with Timmins.  Thomas is likely still on Jarmo’s acquisition list.

[Taro T]

4 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

It's probably worth considering moving on from UPL, if you can get something of value for him. But I'm not a fan of overpaying for a name, hoping they return to form.

They should be considering moving on from any of the 4 they have depending on what deals are available for them.

It's such a truly cloudy area and is so tremendously important.  Don't envy Kekalainen having to try to figure out what the right moves are on that front.

[PromoTheRobot]

41 minutes ago, Taro T said:

They should be considering moving on from any of the 4 they have depending on what deals are available for them.

It's such a truly cloudy area and is so tremendously important.  Don't envy Kekalainen having to try to figure out what the right moves are on that front.

You do realize the Sabres were 5th in goals allowed in the regular season? They aren't total crap.

[Taro T]

7 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

You do realize the Sabres were 5th in goals allowed in the regular season? They aren't total crap.

Please pull up the post where this kid said ANY of them are "total crap."

You do realize that each has a reason that he isn't ideal to keep, right?

Do you also realize that each has a selling point (or several) why the Sabres SHOULDN'T move on from each of them?

But reality is: they have 4 goalies that each have strong points and each also have warts.  NONE has demonstrated that he WILL be a 1 to somebody else being a 2.  And ALL four will need to clear waivers to be sent to Ra-cha-cha and it is very likely that at least 1 would be the target of a waiver claim should the Sabres try to send him down to the A.

UPL has the most upside (when he's on, he's very much a poor man's Vasilevskiy) but he also has the largest price tag by far (and when you're forced to be a cap team, which next year they will be, is a consideration) and he has a tendency to let the game get into his head.

Lyon has the least upside and has the least amount of career left, but he's also demonstrated that he's an almost ideal 1B/2 that can bring home the bacon for a month or so at a clip.

Ellis has the least tape and has been forced into a true backup role this year.  He's shown signs of being able to be an NHLer but also could completely fall apart if he's thrust into a role where he has to be the guy.  We simply don't know.

Levi came in with great fanfare and nearly got them into the playoffs 3 years prior to this season, but couldn't quite will them into the dance and then has not looked nearly as well as he did in that 1st stint.  He's also been up and down in the A.  He's dominated at times but also has had some true disasters too.  Now that Adams is gone, he likely will be the odd man out; but that isn't a given, nor is it a given that he'll be the only odd man out.  They may very well want to finally get away from their signature roster move - the 3 headed monster.

Coulld somebody be willing to trade for one of them giving the Sabres a goalie back that might fit in better to the style they'll be playing next year?  Maybe.  We're still a month plus out from the draft and the start of FA.

Could one of them be a part of a package to bring in a Thomas level player next year?  Maybe.  (See above.)

Could they only get offered scraps for one of them cunsidering other teams know they won't be able to keep all 4?  Possibly, yes.

Could one of them be a centerpiece of a package to bring in a Thomas level player?  Less likely, but still possible as well.

 

NONE of THAT says that any of them are "crap" much less "total crap."  But it does say that there are going to be a lot of paths forward and there isn't a whole lot of history (except with Lyon) to give an indication of how any of them might function if they try to make him THE guy especailly if they don't just run back UPL/Lyon hoping they can still be an effective battery again next yeasr.  Both had injury or quality start issues that never allowed either to cement the #1 role though UPL did hold that title on opening night of the playoffs; which happend to be a title he'd lost by the end of the 2nd game of the playoffs.

[Nacho Libre]

There are more than 2/3 proven goalies, but it’s true there are less than one might think. Are they available? Not often. Hellebuyck was, and the people saying “no” still said no, then (lol) so I think they are just adverse to considering goalie a functional part of a roster, full stop. They are simply a non-entity and incapable of being evaluated if you ask the usuals on the board with that stance 

Jarmo SHOULD be looking, and it’s not as hard as Adams made everything look, but it may not be possible.

my priority is a pass first c for the PP

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

We need a no 1 center more than another average goalie.   We could use an upgrade on Stanley and Kesselring to play with Timmins.  Thomas is likely still on Jarmo’s acquisition list.

A deal was made with St. Louis for Thomas. Thomas exercised his no trade clause to nix the deal. Why do you think the player has changed his position on coming here? And if another deal was worked out where the Blues got two of our three young players in (Kulich, Östlund and Helenius) plus more, I would say no to such a deal. 

[Carmel Corn]

3 minutes ago, JohnC said:

A deal was made with St. Louis for Thomas. Thomas exercised his no trade clause to nix the deal. Why do you think the player has changed his position on coming here? And if another deal was worked out where the Blues got two of our three young players in (Kulich, Östlund and Helenius) plus more, I would say no to such a deal. 

You mean Parayko???

As far as goalie, I don’t think anything will change….same coaching staff will roll back the same trio.

[JohnC]

2 minutes ago, Carmel Corn said:

You mean Parayko???

You are correct that it was Parayko that exercised the NTC. I'm still against a Thomas deal if it includes two of our top three young players (Kulich, Östlund and Helenius). In my google search the Blues wanted even more high grade young pieces to come back to them. To that I give a strong no. 

[Nacho Libre]

Haha 

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

2 minutes ago, Nacho Libre said:

Haha 

 

Is this really news?  They picked up Ellis on waivers and played Lyon and UPL exclusively in the playoffs.  Also all three goalies are under contract.  Best of luck Devon with their new organization.  

[Nacho Libre]

1 minute ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Is this really news?  They picked up Ellis on waivers and played Lyon and UPL exclusively in the playoffs.  Also all three goalies are under contract.  Best of luck Devon with their new organization.  

Won the trade