Billy Sauer

SaveHextall

Registered User
Nov 21, 2006
572
13
Westchester, NY
I've heard a few people consider him to be a sleeper from last year's draft, in which he went 201st overall (7th round).

HF isn't too high on him (6.0D) though and while he has played pretty well for Michigan this year, he's also been scorched at least one time (8 goals in a game last week).

Do people think he can potentially become an NHL goalie? How high is the ceiling with this kid and do you think he'll make it?

Thanks in advance...
 

SpaceGhost79

Registered User
Mar 8, 2002
209
0
Sauer's problem has been consistency. For every one good game, he seems to turn in an equally bad stinker. While he has played more solid and confident this season and made more big saves when his defense faulters, he still has a bad tendency to give up soft goals, some really bad. I think teams know to go upstairs on him since he's more butterfly style. He also needs to challenge shooters on breakaways better.

His stats only tell part of the story, though. He got lit up for eight goals against Minnesota, but to his credit it was Michigan's third game in five days in which they had to face rival Michigan State at home (close hard fought game), then travel to Wisconsin (another close hard fought game) and #1 Minnesota (hardest game for last) and by the third period of the Minn game they were out of gas and he got hung out to dry (the score had been 3-1 heading into the third).

He's still young (this would have been his normal freshman year had he not accelerated), but he has has a long ways to grow technique wise and mentally if he wants to make it to the NHL.
 

Blind Gardien

nexus of the crisis
Apr 2, 2004
20,537
0
Four Winds Bar
Sometimes the "sleeper" label just gets attached to players who were highly rated in their draft years but "inexplicably" fell into the later rounds of the draft. Sauer's track record had him progressing towards potentially even being as high as a late-1st-to-2nd round pick IIRC. He dispelled that with his inconsistent/poor play last season, and was legitimately fortunate to be chosen IMO. I don't know if he has done anything this year to redeem his value or not. But based on watching him last season on CSTV a few times, I would have thought any "sleeper" label attached to him really has to do with the hope that he regains the level he was projected at in the year before the draft, whether there is any legitimate reason to maintain that hope or not. (Although I don't see why not... especially with goalies... a guy's career isn't over at 18 or 19 for sure).
 

MM425

Registered User
Aug 14, 2005
4,968
446
It seems to be a love/hate thing going on with him.

On one hand, he's playing for a killer program that has produced great goalies in the past. He's big and has pretty soild technique.

On the other, (in at least the time's I've seen him play) he isn't paticullarly fast, prone to some soft goals and struggles to bounce back after them.

Time will tell.... especially with the fact that he'll probably stay the whole 4 years at Michigan... he can only get better.
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->