2023 24 Buffalo Sabres Mvp

[Felidae]

Main candidates imo..

Rasmus Dahlin
- leading point producer (tied) and 5th in goals on the team
-averages 25:32 minutes, nearly 3 minutes more than the next best skater
- is 2nd in goals (1 short of tying) and 10th in points for defenseman leaguewide!

Tage Thompson
-leading goalscorer and 3rd in points on the team
- Has the highest PPG and GPG on the team.

Ukko Pekka Luukkonen
-10th highest workload of any goaltender with 52 GP
-20th best sv% leaguewide (min 20 GP)
- 15th best Goals saved above expected per 60 (min 30 games)
- is 1st leaguewide in xhigh danger unblocked shot attempt sv%! (min 20 games


Alex Tuch
- 4th in goals and leading point producer on the team (tied)
- 2nd highest PPG on the team (tied)
- Leading even strength producer on the team
-averages the most time on ice of any forward. A minute more than next best
-
Casey Mittlestadt
- still has the highest +/- on the team
- had the 2nd highest PPG on the team before he left (tied)


Biggest surprise for me is easily Luukkonen who I knew nothing about before. Statistically on the upper end of most individual goalie stats and he's only 24!

 

[Buck Naked]

UPL without a doubt. It's a tough f***ing job to be a goalie behind that defense.

 

[Felidae]

UPL without a doubt. It's a tough f***ing job to be a goalie behind that defense.

Hmm.. the defense isn't all that bad statistically though? 13th in GA/GP and 15th in PK% atm. That's pretty average, not horrendous. If anything it's their offense (specifically the PP) that's bottom of the league.

I do agree UPL is a worthy candidate though, and it's a toss up between him and Dahlin imo even though I have a feeling Dahlin will win in a landslide.

 

[Buck Naked]

Hmm.. the defense isn't all that bad statistically though? 13th in GA/GP and 15th in PK% atm. That's pretty average, not horrendous. If anything it's their offense (specifically the PP) that's bottom of the league.

I do agree UPL is a worthy candidate though, and it's a toss up between him and Dahlin imo even though I have a feeling Dahlin will win in a landslide.

The difference from last year, you ask? They have a goalie actually saving pucks. Of course they look better in PK% and GA/60.

 

[Felidae]

The difference from last year, you ask? They have a goalie actually saving pucks. Of course they look better in PK% and GA/60.

Yeah, no doubt he's made a difference. But you think he's the sole reason they went from 26th in GA/GP and 28th in PK% to middle of the pack?

I don't think a single player can affect the team stats to that extent. For instance, Lemieux in his 199 point campaign, also had the 3rd most PP points in a single season all-time. He's the best ever on the PP. Yet the team was still 31st in PP%..

 

[Albatros]

Luukkonen has been a top 5 goalie in the league, maybe even top 3.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Dahlin. UPL getting overrated because their other goalies have been that bad.

 

[Buck Naked]

Yeah, no doubt he's made a difference. But you think he's the sole reason they went from 26th in GA/GP and 28th in PK% to middle of the pack?

I don't think a single player can affect the team stats to that extent. For instance, Lemieux in his 199 point campaign, also had the 3rd most PP points in a single season all-time. He's the best ever on the PP. Yet the team was still 31st in PP%..

Not the sole reason, but the biggest contributing factor by far. The rest of the team is much worse than last year. This year's UPL with last year's team performance and the Sabres would've been in the playoffs.

 

[BB79]

I vote for us fans, for having to tolerate this bullsheet for 13 years now.

 

[Fatass]

the goalie for sure. The club’s got a lot of minus players who struggle with defensive commitment. Their goalie has to be a star for them.

 

[OKR]

Dahlin. UPL getting overrated because their other goalies have been that bad.

I usually just laught at posts like these, but this is just so highly inaccurate it needs to be called out.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I usually just laught at posts like these, but this is just so highly inaccurate it needs to be called out.

Comrie at .864 and Levi at .899.

 

[Buck Naked]

Dahlin. UPL getting overrated because their other goalies have been that bad.

You don't have to read that many posts or GDTs, GBUs from Buffalo fans this year to find out that the team is performing much worse, both defensively and offensively, than last year. And yet team save percentage is up.

 

[Felidae]

Comrie at .864 and Levi at .899.

I'm not sure this falls in line with the eye test as I don't watch the Sabres. But Levi's advanced stats are actually near the top of the league

His goals saved above expected per 60 is 4th best in the league

His high danger unblocked shot attempt sv% is 5th best in the league. Both stats minimum 20 games and he's only played 22 Games, so a bit inflated. But still impressive.

I'm not sure I quite agree that UPL is overrated, I barely hear anyone talk about him (until now). That being said, can't go wrong with Dahlin as an answer.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

You don't have to read that many posts or GDTs, GBUs from Buffalo fans this year to find out that the team is performing much worse, both defensively and offensively, than last year. And yet team save percentage is up.

Everyone says this about their team how bad their defense is.

People haven't adjusted to what the NHL is. No one plays any defense in this league. It's all offense. Almost every goal that can be called a goal is called a goal. They are directed to officiate high scoring games.

So I'm kind of tired of hearing this. It's true, but it's true for every team. If it's true for every team, there can't be excuses for a goalie having the stats they have. They are what their record says they are. This is the new norm in the NHL.

 

[Three On Zero]

UPL by quite a big margin

 

[Chainshot]

Dahlin. UPL getting overrated because their other goalies have been that bad.

Nah, it's Luukkonen.

 

[Aladyyn]

You don't have to read that many posts or GDTs, GBUs from Buffalo fans this year to find out that the team is performing much worse, both defensively and offensively, than last year. And yet team save percentage is up.

They are much better defensively than last year...

 

[Miro4Norris]

Ukko Lukko. Dahlin is bust

 

[Felidae]

Would be nice to get the opinion of actual Buffalo fans here.

 

[Faceboner]

Dahlin. UPL getting overrated because their other goalies have been that bad.

I think dahlin has been mvp but upl has played like a legit top 3 goalie in the 2nd half

 

[BB79]

Would be nice to get the opinion of actual Buffalo fans here.

I said us fans earlier, but if I had to pick a player I'd go with UPL. Levi has a bright future but needs time to develop, UPL upped his game. He's right there with Swayman and Ullmark with a 2.56GAA. His 0.910 save % lands him 0.001% behind the Quick/Shesterkin NYR goalies. His numbers rival the goalies on the top 2 teams in the east. Can't ask a whole lot more of the man