Speculation: Buffalo in need of a Legit #1 Goalie

[MayDayMayDay]

This team's goaltending worries are so overblown. I expect that by this time next year, one of Lehner or Ullmark will have emerged and firmly seized the job.

 

[joshjull]

ride & die with Lehner for now. thats just the way it is...

Yep.

 

[Ruckus007]

No. But you do need to tie up cap space to get a "proven #1"

Eh, maybe. Cam Ward doesn't occupy much cap space.

This team's goaltending worries are so overblown. I expect that by this time next year, one of Lehner or Ullmark will have emerged and firmly seized the job.

No goalie in organization has even played 50+ NHL games in a season. I wouldn't call the worries overblown.

 

[VaporTrail]

Did not realize the Sabres had given up Lehner.

 

[Gras]

Did not realize the Sabres had given up Lehner.

Don't you know, hes had a concussion and a sprained ankle so now hes damaged goods who will never have a full season without injuries again.

 

[Aladyyn]

People thought Chad Johnson was basically done in the NHL this time last year

 

[FamilyGuy716]

If The Sabres are truly interested in moving this team forward They had better secure a Legit #1 Goalie!

Lehner still is not 100% healed and not a proven #1. Nilsson even as a back up is questionable @ #2.

If Owners are truly interested in advancing this team they had better consider bringing in a proven #1 Goalie.

Everyone is looking to add Defense which is needed but I strongly feel without a true #1 Tender no matter what they added up front this team will not be able to keep the puck out of the net.


Any Thoughts? Will they go with an unproven Duo to start the season or will a deal get done to bring in a proven #1 Stopper.

I'm sick and tired of people bashing Lehner. You do know Lehner had a .924 save percentage last year? Give him this year to see what he can do when healthy before we start threads like this.

 

[Der Jaeger]

My plan to address Sabres goaltending:

- Pair Kulikov and Bogosian, then use them against high QOC.
- Put Gorges on the 3rd pair to shore it up.
- Continue to develop Ristolainen, McCabe, Guhle, Nelson
- Trade/draft more quality defensemen
- Stress forwards coming back defensively
- Use Larsson line heavily against high QOC.
- Shelter Eichel line.
- Adjust system to drive possession in accordance wit talent on roster.

Oh, forgot...

- See how Lehner plays.
- Keep goalies in the pipeline developing.

 

[WeDislikeEich]

If The Sabres are truly interested in moving this team forward They had better secure a Legit #1 Goalie!

Lehner still is not 100% healed and not a proven #1. Nilsson even as a back up is questionable @ #2.

If Owners are truly interested in advancing this team they had better consider bringing in a proven #1 Goalie.

Everyone is looking to add Defense which is needed but I strongly feel without a true #1 Tender no matter what they added up front this team will not be able to keep the puck out of the net.


Any Thoughts? Will they go with an unproven Duo to start the season or will a deal get done to bring in a proven #1 Stopper.

My thoughts are that Tim Murray just gave up a 1st in a deep draft to get Lehner and he's only played 20 some games for us (and looked very good posting a .924). He sure looks to me like he has the potential to be our #1 goalie.

Plus, There is an expansion draft coming next summer and you can only protect 1 goalie. Buffalo is absolutely not trading away more good assets for another #1 type goalie before the expansion draft.
It would be like throwing those assets away when we lose one of the goalies for nothing.

Also, Buffalo has some goalie prospects in the system who look like they could be very good. There's at least 2 guys with #1 potential in Ullmark and Peterson, plus a couple more that look like they have a legit shot at the NHL (Kasdorf, at least)

 

[Yatzhee]

If The Sabres are truly interested in moving this team forward They had better secure a Legit #1 Goalie!

Lehner still is not 100% healed and not a proven #1. Nilsson even as a back up is questionable @ #2.

If Owners are truly interested in advancing this team they had better consider bringing in a proven #1 Goalie.

Everyone is looking to add Defense which is needed but I strongly feel without a true #1 Tender no matter what they added up front this team will not be able to keep the puck out of the net.


Any Thoughts? Will they go with an unproven Duo to start the season or will a deal get done to bring in a proven #1 Stopper.

The Buffalo Sabres know better than any other teams that goalies don't win you Cups. We've had some good to great ones in our teams history and look, still no cups.

 

[WeDislikeEich]

People thought Chad Johnson was basically done in the NHL this time last year

I don't understand why people keep saying Buffalo's goaltending isnt good (or needs help or whatever). Reality is we haven't had any real goaltending issues in a long time, going back to even before Ryan Miller.... I don't see why it'll suddenly become an issue now.
Everyone said how much Lindbach would suck, he played very good. Everyone said the same about Johnson, he played great. And now there's saying it again about Lehner and Nilsson, even though Lehner looked very sharp in his limited action even though he wasn't fully recovered from the ankle injury.

 

[OkimLom]

I don't understand why people keep saying Buffalo's goaltending isnt good (or needs help or whatever). Reality is we haven't had any real goaltending issues in a long time, going back to even before Ryan Miller.... I don't see why it'll suddenly become an issue now.
Everyone said how much Lindbach would suck, he played very good. Everyone said the same about Johnson, he played great. And now there's saying it again about Lehner and Nilsson, even though Lehner looked very sharp in his limited action even though he wasn't fully recovered from the ankle injury.

You can probably go as far back as times before Hasek or maybe Fuhr.

Buffalo is a team that throughout the majority of their history had at worst Slighty above average to Great goaltending, consistently. Shoot, When were tanking we were still in games because of guys like Enroth playing out of their minds. Even when Management purposely tried to get bad goaltending we couldn't get it.

 

[TehDoak]

Tying up cap space in goaltending is full stop bad GMing.

Tying up space is AVERAGE goaltending is bad GMing.

A top 5 goalie elite goalie is typically worth the contract.

The problem is sorting the Lundqvist/Schneider/Price from the Bobrovsky/Lehtonen/Howard (goalies on bad long term deals)

I actually don't mind spending dollars on goalies, its the term I would avoid, especially any that takes them past the age of 32 or so.

If let's say we could get Ben Bishop for a 1st+ Lehner he'd do a 3 year, 20M deal....I'd probably be fine with that.

 

[Sabre Dance]

Tying up cap space in goaltending is full stop bad GMing.

Every good team does it.

 

[CaseyMitts37]

Lehner is a legit #1 goalie

 

[Aladyyn]

Tying up space is AVERAGE goaltending is bad GMing.

A top 5 goalie elite goalie is typically worth the contract.

The problem is sorting the Lundqvist/Schneider/Price from the Bobrovsky/Lehtonen/Howard (goalies on bad long term deals)

I actually don't mind spending dollars on goalies, its the term I would avoid, especially any that takes them past the age of 32 or so.

If let's say we could get Ben Bishop for a 1st+ Lehner he'd do a 3 year, 20M deal....I'd probably be fine with that.

Rangers took years to realize that their team sucked and King was masking it. Habs haven't realized it yet. Devils can't/don't want to realize.

Tampa and Pittsburgh are shopping Bishop/Fleury for a good reason. And as much as I like Bishop, he's so not worth that much money.

 

[Sabre Dance]

Lehner is a legit #1 goalie

For 20 games.

 

[AustonsNostrils]

If Lehner doesn't work out and the Sabres stumble I'd like the Pegulas to look at Kyle Dubas as a replacement for TM. I love Tim's personality but let's be honest here, he was handed a perfect scenario for any new GM, zero expectations other than to be as bad as possible to draft a few elite top of draft prospects. He inherited a motherlode of assets. Looking at our prospects poll it's not very impressive after 3 TM drafts. Tim's said a successful draft is 3-4 players per draft make contributions to your NHL team - I don't see that happening with what he's drafted so far.

If I'm the owner this team needs to make or come very close to making the playoffs this year for TM to get a new deal.

 

[Beerz]

If Lehner doesn't work out and the Sabres stumble I'd like the Pegulas to look at Kyle Dubas as a replacement for TM. I love Tim's personality but let's be honest here, he was handed a perfect scenario for any new GM, zero expectations other than to be as bad as possible to draft a few elite top of draft prospects. He inherited a motherlode of assets. Looking at our prospects poll it's not very impressive after 3 TM drafts. Tim's said a successful draft is 3-4 players per draft make contributions to your NHL team - I don't see that happening with what he's drafted so far.

If I'm the owner this team needs to make or come very close to making the playoffs this year for TM to get a new deal.

No words.

 

[Aladyyn]

Kyle "has done literally nothing" Dubas over a guy that has been building his vision here for 2.5 years already. Sure, what a grand idea.

 

[AustonsNostrils]

No words.

No words.

 

[Sabreality]

That's ridiculous. Murray's been GM for 30 months. I see him getting another 3 year deal, you don't dump him before seeing the results of the build.

 

[AustonsNostrils]

Kyle "has done literally nothing" Dubas over a guy that has been building his vision here for 2.5 years already. Sure, what a grand idea.

You know for a fact that Kyle Dubas 'has done literally nothing'

He's extremely well regarded in the hockey industry - as virtually a kid he ran the Sault Saint Marie Greyhounds OHL franchise with great success, when nobody would hire Sheldon Keefe, Dubas did. Dubas runs the Leafs' AHL Marlies team Keefe coaches which had a great season in the standing and development wise. He's been on the ground floor of the analytics movement.

 

[AustonsNostrils]

That's ridiculous. Murray's been GM for 30 months. I see him getting another 3 year deal, you don't dump him before seeing the results of the build.

He'll be evaluated by the Pegulas and their advisors at the end of next season. If things go well I'm sure he gets another deal.

 

[Aladyyn]

You know for a fact that Kyle Dubas 'has done literally nothing'

He's extremely well regarded in the hockey industry - as virtually a kid he ran the Sault Saint Marie Greyhounds OHL franchise with great success, when nobody would hire Sheldon Keefe, Dubas did. Dubas runs the Leafs' AHL Marlies team Keefe coaches which had a great season in the standing and development wise. He's been on the ground floor of the analytics movement.

So he doesn't hold a candle to what Tim Murray has accomplished, got it.