Neuvirth continuing to impress. Pretty squarely in his camp at this point.
There isn't much of a competition, really. Neuvirth has pretty handily outplayed Jhonas.
Not to overblow his play up to date, but remember when everbody hated trading for little Neuvirth. What terrible asset management.
Everyone? I Liked the move as you can see if you looked at my posts, as did many others. A few posters were pretty dramatic about it though.
Goaltenders take for ever, Neuvirth was highly regarded and has always had the talent. Maybe now he is just putting it together.
Not to overblow his play up to date, but remember when everbody hated trading for little Neuvirth. What terrible asset management.
What'd they give up for him, a 3rd?
Yeah I can think of a few people that were pissed off about trading away a third
If Noyverth keeps this up, he will garner deadline inch wrist for sure.
http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/30-thoughts/15. Do not be surprised if Buffalo is also looking for a goalie or two, but on a more long-term basis. Both Jhonas Enroth and Michal Neuvirth are free agents after this season. Is either the Sabres’ long-term solution?
30 Thoughts:
Elliotte Friedman November 15, 2014, 1:55 PM
http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/30-thoughts/
Probably throw Lieuwen in net to seal the tank. I'm a huge Makarov fan and believe he will be a starter one day. I would like to see him being Rochester starting goalie bringing them to the Calder.I think Neuvirth has low- to mid-end starter potential. I do not think Enroth is a starter. That said, Neuvirth's durability is becoming a real concern. I'd be perfectly fine if they decide to proceed with neither of them.
The 2015 UFA goaltender class is pretty putrid, so this would have to be by trade. We know Tim loves Lehner--I'm a fan, as well, and despite some inconsistency he's only 23 and fulfills Tim's known criteria of "big, athletic, and European." Who else? Eddie Lack, I suppose, if Vancouver believes in Markstrom as a backup and they think Thatcher Demko could be ready to step in when Miller's deal is up. Martin Jones? Petr Mrazek?
Probably throw Lieuwen in net to seal the tank. I'm a huge Makarov fan and believe he will be a starter one day. I would like to see him being Rochester starting goalie bringing them to the Calder.
I think the gist of what Friedman was saying is that the Sabres may be looking outside the organization for a mid- or longer-term goaltending option. I think Makarov is too inconsistent. He's usually great or terrible, with not much in between. Lieuwen is usually steady if unspectacular, but he's fallen off the wagon the past month--one has to think that a lot of it is mental right now. Ullmark has taken a step back, as well.
Even if all those guys get their form back, I'm sure Murray wants a guy for the near- or mid-term while those three continue developing. I know Murray really likes Neuvirth, but he's well on his way to earning the scarlet "injury-prone" label.
I'd like to see them sign 2 guys. I don't actually care whether it's Neuvirth and/or Enroth, or signing someone who fits Murray's "style"...While continuing to develop prospects until someone TAKES the job. It's too hard to project goalies (how's your Lieuwen projection looking right now?).
I'd sign Devan Dubnyk as a short terms (2 year) solution. He's a big goalie, who put up "Ryan Miller" numbers on some terrible Edmonton teams. Yea, his game fell apart under the weight of the awful play in front of him.
I'd also look at Anti Niemi as a more long term solution, he's only 31... and there's not a lot of starting jobs available. Would he take 4 yrs / 20 million?
I'd like to see them sign 2 guys. I don't actually care whether it's Neuvirth and/or Enroth, or signing someone who fits Murray's "style"...While continuing to develop prospects until someone TAKES the job. It's too hard to project goalies (how's your Lieuwen projection looking right now?).
I'd sign Devan Dubnyk as a short terms (2 year) solution. He's a big goalie, who put up "Ryan Miller" numbers on some terrible Edmonton teams. Yea, his game fell apart under the weight of the awful play in front of him.
I'd also look at Anti Niemi as a more long term solution, he's only 31... and there's not a lot of starting jobs available. Would he take 4 yrs / 20 million?
About as well as everyone's Ullmark prognostications that he's going to be our Cup-winning goaltender. Lieuwen's had a bad month, just as Makarov had a bad Traverse City/preseason. I think he'll get past it.
Meh. I think Dubnyk would be more of a placeholder. I was thinking more along the lines of a guy who could grow into something more. If my alternative was Dubnyk, I think I'd rather just hold on to Neuvirth and hope he can shake the injury bug.
Niemi is more along the lines of what I think Murray would want if he couldn't get an up-and-comer like Jones or Lehner. I'd be inclined to say that Niemi would sign a deal like that. The UFA market won't be great for goaltenders as there are only so many openings available.
I was revving up a response to you in the roster thread about goalies but I guess this is a good place to respond too (maybe both posts get moved anyway)?
In your projected rosters you commit about $7-8M to goaltenders and I'm just not that optimistic that the Sabres could actually do that and still get a desired outcome.
I've obviously thought about Niemi as a UFA option as well and thought I don't know about salaries in specific, I'm not sure the Sabres could get him with both low term and high annual salary and have a roster spot attractive enough for a ~$2.5M-ish backup that probably wouldn't get much playing time. Niemi/Neuvirth (my idea) or Niemi/Dubnyk (yours) might fill the salary requirements but it presents the possibility that that is your combo when the team is good again and I don't believe either are would be an asset on the next good team.
For me, ideally, the starting goaltender on the next good team would be 1.) good, 2.) cheap(ish) and 3. young(ish) (a function of #2). The only internal options that would fit that timeline aren't having good season but I'd like to have a spot available next year in the best-case-scenario that one of Ullmark/Hackett/Lieuwen/Makarov develops NHL competency between now and then.
For me, ideally, the goaltending combo next season would consist of a Neuvirth-type vet starter, a disposable Dan Ellis-type vet backup that can be discarded as necessary if a young player elevates. That isn't a very expensive combo though and it then becomes a factor in... you know what.
If Niemi takes the Ryan Miller contract (3/$18M) then all is moot, IMO. But I'm not sure 3 years would be attractive to him with the Sabres transitioning back into competitiveness and I don't want to go longer.
And, IMO, the fact that the Sabres had to go 3 years on Gionta and McCormick suggests to me that players aren't interested in wasting their time on a transitional team.
EDIT: This is also why I'm fully onboard with addressing external options with a Bishop-type trade at any point along the way if the opportunity presents itself. But that also presents the issue of salary cost and roster makeup next year.
EDIT: For the GCT at hand, I have very similar feelings towards either player and I'm fine with resigning both, resigning neither, or only resigning one, though the book on Enroth dissuades me a bit from him.
What's the desired outcome?
>I don't intend to have them under contract at that time...
>fair enough... i could live with a cup winning goalie in his mid 30s as we transition from rebuild to contender.
>i agree
>I'm not interested in throwing any young goaltender that we have intentions of being part of the future into the fire
>I think we are another season or 2 away from this scenario.
>yea, Id be fine with Neuvirth/Dubnyk type combo for another year or 2.... Gustavson would be adequate in a similar manner.
If there is a Lehner trade that's out there... count me in if i can get him for Conacher and a 2nd. I juist don't think it's the priority this offseason (finding the goalie of the future). And I don't believe in investing valuable assets into a position that I think is very easy to fill IF the rebuild is a success
I'd rather pour some cap space into a vet or 2, and work on building and developing the roster. A goalie will emerge someday, or we'll have a stacked roster/pipeline from which to trade from