Sabres Goat-lending (Capra fenerantis): The Other, Other Elephant in the Room

[skipjack]

I would recommend Erik Granqvist from Sweden as goalie coach. I know he's been close to sign for some other NHL team before.
Erik Granqvist at eliteprospects.com

 

[Chainshot]

Still think this is an issue.

 

[Zman5778]

Still think this is an issue.

I think it's the MAIN issue right now. Offensive depth is right behind.......but goaltending I think is our #1 issue

 

[Tatanka]

Yeah, I am not a believer in either of our current goat lenders.

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

Remember the days of Buffalo having a 3 headed monster in net? When the team drafted 2 high end goalie prospects both in the 1st in a 3 draft period and it was the 5th round pick from a few years after that that became the heir to Hasek?

I would be ecstatic to have a Biron level goalie as the #1. He never got the chance to truly succeed whilst here.

 

[Dingo44]

Long-term we're in very good shape but short term...not as good.

It would be interesting to see Botts pick up some waiver-wire goalie. Picking up Curtis McElhinney really was a good move by the Canes. I'm guessing Hutton would be the man left out if we did that.

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

Well the nice thing is that Huttons deal is small enough that we can afford to waive him and eat the ~1.8 mil extra. I hope Botts is in on any goaltending upgrades. Obviously 6 Ks is the future in net. Hopefully Ullmark can become at least a viable platoon goalie capable of 50 games during 6 Ks rookie year if we don't add any more netminders.

Assuming Hutton plays out his contract and Ullmark is earmarked long term as a 1B/backup...

19-20 and 20-21 Ullmark and Hutton rotated. In 21-22 Ullmark gets 50-55 games while 6 K gets his feet wet with 25-30 games and then in 22-23 6 K is ready for 60+ games. 3 full seasons as an AHL workhorse and then backup NHL goalie is a good amount of seasoning for him.

I am hoping 6 K can be that franchise guy. I miss not having a top 12 goalie. Between Hasek and Miller from the early 90s to the early 10s aside from a few transitional seasons we had a top 10-12 goalie back there. The last half a decade we have had mediocre goaltending. It sucks not having a goalie who can carry us for a 5-6 game stretch giving us 10-11 points when the offense is struggling mightily. I do not have faith that if we put up 12 goals in 5 games that we can go 4-0-1 in a stretch like that.

 

[Deleted member 27798]

If Hutton is starting more than 20-25 games, the Sabres will be near the bottom of the league again...and goaltending will be one of the main reasons why.

The only hope for this season, is that Ullmark magically turns himself into a middle of the pack NHL starter.

 

[UnleashRasmus]

Remember Cal Petersen, oh wait. I will say that Ukko-Pekka Lukkonen and Erik Portillo give me hope. This team's scouts aren't moving away from guys they like. So yes, it's not an immediate fix. However, it's at least coming.

 

[dortt]

Well the nice thing is that Huttons deal is small enough that we can afford to waive him and eat the ~1.8 mil extra. I hope Botts is in on any goaltending upgrades. Obviously 6 Ks is the future in net. Hopefully Ullmark can become at least a viable platoon goalie capable of 50 games during 6 Ks rookie year if we don't add any more netminders.

Assuming Hutton plays out his contract and Ullmark is earmarked long term as a 1B/backup...

19-20 and 20-21 Ullmark and Hutton rotated. In 21-22 Ullmark gets 50-55 games while 6 K gets his feet wet with 25-30 games and then in 22-23 6 K is ready for 60+ games. 3 full seasons as an AHL workhorse and then backup NHL goalie is a good amount of seasoning for him.

I am hoping 6 K can be that franchise guy. I miss not having a top 12 goalie. Between Hasek and Miller from the early 90s to the early 10s aside from a few transitional seasons we had a top 10-12 goalie back there. The last half a decade we have had mediocre goaltending. It sucks not having a goalie who can carry us for a 5-6 game stretch giving us 10-11 points when the offense is struggling mightily. I do not have faith that if we put up 12 goals in 5 games that we can go 4-0-1 in a stretch like that.

I'd be ecstatic if we had mediocre goaltending. Probably would ahve made the playoffs with mediocre goaltending last year. Instead, we had horrendous goaltending

 

[Royal Thunder]

Let's hope that the goalie coach we hired has his reputation for a reason. Would love if he could turn Ullmark into a middle of the pack starter.

 

[Man of Principles]

I was ranting in section 214 about Hutton not hugging the post if anybody heard me.

On a serious note Hutton wasn't very good and gave up 2 goals from woeful angles, seemingly from below the goal line from what I could see. I'm not watching highlights but he was their worst defenseman, and Scandella was playing.

 

[Buffaloed]

I envision a scenario with UPL dominating the AHL and Sabres fans imploring Botterill to call him up. You can fill in the rest.

 

[jc17]

Goalies have been below average since jim corsi left

 

[tsujimoto74]

I'm cautiously optimistic that Ullmark (and, to a lesser extent, Hutton) can turn things around under a new goaltending coach. Ullmark was a young goalie who looked to have a solid future in the leauge up until about the midway point of last season. He was the youngest goalie since Lundqvist to win SHL goalie of the year honors, he improved year over year in the AHL, and he posted good stats in the NHL until about December of last season. Hutton and Ullmark both got worse as the season wore on, and I suspect that's at least partly due to poor position coaching they were receiving (see also: Lehner's comments about finally being coached to stay on his angles in NYI). I'm not expecting either to suddenly look like John Gibson out there, but I think the duo we have is capable of giving us at least NHL average goaltending.

 

[Buffaloed]

The goalies in Edmonton fared well in Krueger's single shortened season with the Oilers
Edmonton Oilers 2012-13 roster and scoring statistics at hockeydb.com

Dubnyk took nosedive the following year and Khabibulin retired after 4 games.

I'm looking for a big improvement from Ullmark due to the experience he gained, a good goalie coach, and a better defensive system. Hutton should improve from playing in a better system.

 

[Fezzy126]

I'm cautiously optimistic that Ullmark (and, to a lesser extent, Hutton) can turn things around under a new goaltending coach. Ullmark was a young goalie who looked to have a solid future in the leauge up until about the midway point of last season. He was the youngest goalie since Lundqvist to win SHL goalie of the year honors, he improved year over year in the AHL, and he posted good stats in the NHL until about December of last season. Hutton and Ullmark both got worse as the season wore on, and I suspect that's at least partly due to poor position coaching they were receiving (see also: Lehner's comments about finally being coached to stay on his angles in NYI). I'm not expecting either to suddenly look like John Gibson out there, but I think the duo we have is capable of giving us at least NHL average goaltending.

I'd add that it'll take longer than 2 weeks of camp to start seeing the impact as well, so it's far from time to start hitting the panic button.

 

[Jim Bob]

2019-20 Goalie Tiers: Anonymous panel of GMs and coaches...

You are going to be reading for a while before you happen upon a Sabres goalie.

 

[old kummelweck]

2019-20 Goalie Tiers: Anonymous panel of GMs and coaches...

You are going to be reading for a while before you happen upon a Sabres goalie.

Can't argue with Hutton at the bottom.

 

[Jim Bob]

Can't argue with Hutton at the bottom.

Nope. And that is worrisome.

Help us, Linus. You may be our only hope.

 

[old kummelweck]

Help us, Linus. You may be our only hope.

Jekyll and Hyde. If he can keep his GAA down and his SV% up, I can live with the softies canceling out the jaw-droppers. On equal ground with my goaltending worry is this team defense and new 'system' giving up high-danger scoring chances and being in the same place they were last year with the 'is it the team defense, or the goal tending'.

I'm really at a loss what this team is going to look like.

 

[Team Cozens]

Nope. And that is worrisome.

Help us, Linus. You may be our only hope.

I'm waiting for the predictions thread to pop but I'm going with UPL as our starter
at the end of the season. Last 4 or 5 games. I'm sure we will have the playoffs wrapped up by then.

 

[Jim Bob]

I'm waiting for the predictions thread to pop but I'm going with UPL as our starter
at the end of the season. Last 4 or 5 games. I'm sure we will have the playoffs wrapped up by then.

Given the surgery and his age, I am not expecting him to be ready to be an NHL starter this season.

 

[dortt]

Goalies have been below average since jim corsi left

they were very good under Irbe as goalie coach. Murray had to keep trading them away to ensure the tank

 

[Chainshot]

Interesting to see Hutton grade out a shade lower than his xGA: