Player Discussion All Purpose Goaltending Thread

[Chainshot]

 

[Jim Bob]

Woody with another good appearance on the PDOcast for anyone who wants top notch goalie talk.

He even talks about how Andy uniquely plays dead angle plays.

 

[Fly Boy]

That also apply to Spencer Sova? They missed their chance on him as well (for the time being)?

 

[Chainshot]

That also apply to Spencer Sova? They missed their chance on him as well (for the time being)?

Yep. Though OA's often slide so then it becomes a matter of who has the longer measure of patience in the later rounds.

 

[Chainshot]

 

[oldgoalie]

Good read. 3 good goalies is a nice problem to have (assuming Comrie is in good form when he returns).

 

[Grouch]

HockeyBuzz.com - Hank Balling - Decision Time on UPL / Wild at Sabres

www.hockeybuzz.com

Comrie has a week left in Rochester.......Joker coming back soon.......how to make the roster work basically.

Do we carry 3 goaltenders?
Send UPL down?

Is Vinnie really the one more likely to clear waivers? I would suspect either him or Asplund get claimed quickly.

What's your guess as to how they handle this?

 

[Ace]

on D they should just waive Fitzgerald. Who gives a shit about him at this point.

on goal the next week of UPL will matter so I need to see it first. If this dude is riding an 8 game winning streak or something like that…yeah…gonna be rough

carrying three goalie is about as dumb an idea as possible. Two of them need to play as much as they can. Risking a player so Eric Comrie has a seat in the pressbox…naw.

 

[BUCKSHOT]

Fitz to waivers and UPL to Rochester.

UPL has played well, make sure he knows it is NOT a demotion just a business decision

 

[Bendium]

If Joker and Comrie come back a week from now we have to make two roster spaces. If they believe a player has trade value, now or in the future, they will not waive them and risk losing them for nothing. KA is very protective in this manner.

That said, the Sabres do not need to waive anyone.

1. Trade any of Hino, Olof, Asplund, Bryson, Fitz, Mitts etc in in some combination that concentrates talent into less roster players or returns picks/prospects.

2. Quinn, Peterka, Krebs, Sammy, Power and UPL can all be sent down without waivers. This is the most likely scenario IMO. They could just rotate these guys, including UPL giving him both NHL and AHL games.

I see no chance of Sammy or Power going down. I could see Quinn going back for a confidence stint with either Krebs or JJP, and then them trying to play Hino and Asplund into a trade. It's a business, and they won't throw away assets if they don't have to.

 

[ValJamesDuex]

UPL starts tonight vs Blues.



Donnie said this week on wgr they have discussed the option of carrying 3 keepers, and that UPL playing well has to be handled "carefully"

Don Granato On Damar Hamlin And The Sabres Win In Washington

Hour 3: Sabres Head Coach Joins The Show On The Sabres Win Over The Capitals And His Struggles When He Was In The ICU

www.audacy.com

and some additional discussion

Will Don Granato Keep Three Goaltenders On The Roster

Hour 3 In Full

www.audacy.com

 

[dire wolf]

2. Quinn, Peterka, Krebs, Sammy, Power and UPL can all be sent down without waivers. This is the most likely scenario IMO. They could just rotate these guys, including UPL giving him both NHL and AHL games.

No chance any of those guys are going down.

I think they will have to send 6K down to Roch at least temporarily so they can see how Comrie plays. If Comrie plays well, you leave UPL in Roch until there is an injury or Comrie falters. You tell him he will play a ton of games in Roch and will be in Buffalo next year and this has nothing to do with his play. If Comrie looks bad, then you either waive/trade other players (Fitz, Bryson, VO, Asplund) or trade/waive Comrie.

The other possibility is that other players go on IR soon and they carry 3 goalies for a bit.

 

[jc17]

While 3 goalies is unpopular, if there was ever a time to do it, now would be the time.

4 games per week, for the next 3 weeks. Even if two guys split 50/50, that could be a high workload, especially for craig. This seems to indicate that 2-3 days between games still results in some performance drop. Compound that by a few weeks...

What's the argument for not having fitz go down if people want UPL up?

 

[NotABadPeriod]

While 3 goalies is unpopular, if there was ever a time to do it, now would be the time.

4 games per week, for the next 3 weeks. Even if two guys split 50/50, that could be a high workload, especially for craig. This seems to indicate that 2-3 days between games still results in some performance drop. Compound that by a few weeks...

What's the argument for not having fitz go down if people want UPL up?

The argument for Fitz specifically is that only carrying 6 D is problematic--we literally saw that on the road trip against Colorado where Power got hurt in warmup and we had to play the entire game short.

The question shouldn't be about Fitz, at least not until Joker is back. The question should be about Hinostroza, especially since I can't see any of the waiver exempt skaters being considered at all.

 

[dortt]

the problem with sending UPL down to give comrie a trial run is we are risking the playoffs for a comrie trial run. Comrie lays an egg, we are finished

 

[Bendium]

No chance any of those guys are going down.

I think they will have to send 6K down to Roch at least temporarily so they can see how Comrie plays. If Comrie plays well, you leave UPL in Roch until there is an injury or Comrie falters. You tell him he will play a ton of games in Roch and will be in Buffalo next year and this has nothing to do with his play. If Comrie looks bad, then you either waive/trade other players (Fitz, Bryson, VO, Asplund) or trade/waive Comrie.

The other possibility is that other players go on IR soon and they carry 3 goalies for a bit.

No idea why you think none of those players could be sent down for a short period. Some for certain no, like Sammy and Power, but the rest? Absolutely. Their waiver exempt status is a flexibility asset to the organization. Basically choose any 4.

I would rate their importance to the team as:

1. Sammy
2. Power
3. UPL
4. JJP
5. Krebs (center)
6. Quinn

These are all waiver exempt. They can be sent up and down at will without any chance of losing them. That will happen before waiving any player that has any value at the deadline, even a 5-7th round pick.

Its way past time to get a trade or two done to unclog the pipeline, but in the meantime, waiver exempt status is an asset that will get used.

 

[Ace]

The idea that they would mess with something that’s working at the highest level in the league, their offense, to carry three goalies…is so utterly ridiculous.

Sending down UPL if he wins out this week too is a giant risk to not only the season but to the fanbase. Comrie comes up and plays well…then you get away with it. He bombs again? Disaster.

we need to have a serious conversation about what people think Comrie is vs what Comrie actually is. He’s an unproven backup who got his first taste of starting time and played the worst of the three. He was the last chair left when the music stopped and the rest of the teams had already claimed their seats. He’s a dart throw that has missed the board so far.

Send UPL down if he’s on a heater and we are in actual real playoff contention? Fine. But that leash on Comrie is so short. He has proven less here than UPL. They both played a series of games behind 4 injured D. One flourished. One bombed.

If they start to lose with Comrie…he has to go. He wasn’t anything big to begin with. He’s what you get when you don’t want to address goaltending. Sacrificing anything for him is a silly idea.

Messing with the offense? Silly idea.

Risking a player on waivers? Silly idea.

Blowing the season? Silly idea.

he’s nothing. He’s a stopgap fill in who has been outplayed by one of the people he was the stopgap for.

you can get another Comrie.

 

[SabresFan26]

UPL stays up and they carry three goalies. Fitzgerald is waived to Rochester for roster reasons.

If play suffers for one of the goalies, the will get sent to Rochester.

Reward performance. The standard is the standard and that's what they're building. Not "business decisions"

Playing time should be performance based not personal.

 

[dortt]

The idea that they would mess with something that’s working at the highest level in the league, their offense, to carry three goalies…is so utterly ridiculous.

Sending down UPL if he wins out this week too is a giant risk to not only the season but to the fanbase. Comrie comes up and plays well…then you get away with it. He bombs again? Disaster.

we need to have a serious conversation about what people think Comrie is vs what Comrie actually is. He’s an unproven backup who got his first taste of starting time and played the worst of the three. He was the last chair left when the music stopped and the rest of the teams had already claimed their seats. He’s a dart throw that has missed the board so far.

Send UPL down if he’s on a heater and we are in actual real playoff contention? Fine. But that leash on Comrie is so short. He has proven less here than UPL. They both played a series of games behind 4 injured D. One flourished. One bombed.

If they start to lose with Comrie…he has to go. He wasn’t anything big to begin with. He’s what you get when you don’t want to address goaltending. Sacrificing anything for him is a silly idea.

Messing with the offense? Silly idea.

Risking a player on waivers? Silly idea.

Blowing the season? Silly idea.

he’s nothing. He’s a stopgap fill in who has been outplayed by one of the people he was the stopgap for.

you can get another Comrie.

agreed 100%. I've had it with the excuse that Comrie played behind a depleted D. What has UPL's D been recently? Comrie never had to play behind only 5 D, with 3 being AHL fodder. Yet, UPL has been thriving. The only thing Comrie thrived at was laying rotten eggs

Send Clague or Fitz down. Problem solved

 

[Ace]

UPL stays up and they carry three goalies. Fitzgerald is waived to Rochester for roster reasons.

If play suffers for one of the goalies, the will get sent to Rochester.

Reward performance. The standard is the standard and that's what they're building. Not "business decisions"

Playing time should be performance based not personal.

The person whose performance least deserves reward is Comrie. Who this plan site in the pressbox 2/3 games at minimum. At the cost of either waiving an asset or sending down a player who shouldn’t be sent down.

all so we can carry one less replacement during a period where we play every other day for a month,

who are you sending down or waiving to give Comrie his seat in the pressbox? Fitz gets you Joker back…not two people

 

[TheMistyStranger]

I don't like that.

 

[SabresFan26]

The person whose performance least deserves reward is Comrie. Who this plan site in the pressbox 2/3 games at minimum. At the cost of either waiving an asset or sending down a player who shouldn’t be sent down.

all so we can carry one less replacement during a period where we play every other day for a month,

who are you sending down or waiving to give Comrie his seat in the pressbox? Fitz gets you Joker back…not two people

Hino is next to go. Comrie hasn't done anything to be waived yet. He got injured. Not his problem. When he gets his share of starts (Which we have a lot of games coming up), if he doesn't perform then he is waived.

 

[ValJamesDuex]

What grade would @Chainshot and any others give Comrie on his 3 games in Roch ?

 

[Bendium]

UPL stays up and they carry three goalies. Fitzgerald is waived to Rochester for roster reasons.

If play suffers for one of the goalies, the will get sent to Rochester.

Reward performance. The standard is the standard and that's what they're building. Not "business decisions"

Playing time should be performance based not personal.

There is a balance between business decision and performance. If you need any proof, then ask yourself why Olofsson has not sat one single game. It's a business decision to try to keep his value up for a trade.

Pilut was waived because he wasn't tradeable and will not be signed by the Sabres next year as a UFA.. There was no business asset to be lost. Hino and Olofsson will get something in a trade, so they will not be waived. Aspland, Bryson, Fitz and Clague all are either under contract or will be RFA's with team control next year. This gives all of them some value to the Sabres for now, to keep for depth or use as a low value asset in a trade. So none of them are getting waived and lost for nothing.

Comrie is also not getting waived. He played solid to start the season, got caved when three of our top 5 dmen got injured, and then got injured himself. If your concerned he is not getting shutouts in the AHL, just a month or so ago UPL was doing poorly in the AHL as well. It is a different game and level of defensive structure in front of them. The Sabres also currently have him penciled infor next year as well, so Comrie getting waived is NOT happening.

If everyone is healthy and there are no trades, the waiver exempt players, Quinn, JJP, Krebs, and UPL will be rotating games in Rochester until there is a trade or injury bringing them back up. If you want something else, then start getting your trade assets together, and prepare to part with some picks and prospects.

 

[SabresFan26]

There is a balance between business decision and performance. If you need any proof, then ask yourself why Olofsson has not sat one single game. It's a business decision to try to keep his value up for a trade.

Pilut was waived because he wasn't tradeable and will not be signed by the Sabres next year as a UFA.. There was no business asset to be lost. Hino and Olofsson will get something in a trade, so they will not be waived. Aspland, Bryson, Fitz and Clague all are either under contract or will be RFA's with team control next year. This gives all of them some value to the Sabres for now, to keep for depth or use as a low value asset in a trade. So none of them are getting waived and lost for nothing.

Comrie is also not getting waived. He played solid to start the season, got caved when three of our top 5 dmen got injured, and then got injured himself. If your concerned he is not getting shutouts in the AHL, just a month or so ago UPL was doing poorly in the AHL as well. It is a different game and level of defensive structure in front of them. The Sabres also currently have him penciled infor next year as well, so Comrie getting waived is NOT happening.

If everyone is healthy and there are no trades, the waiver exempt players, Quinn, JJP, Krebs, and UPL will be rotating games in Rochester until there is a trade or injury bringing them back up. If you want something else, then start getting your trade assets together, and prepare to part with some picks and prospects.

I agree with most of what you have posted. I don't think Olofsson is a lock to get traded. I think Donnie values him more than we do.

I also don't think Asplund or Hino get claimed. Every team has theirs.

Clague is too good right now to take out of the line up. His corsi numbers alongside Power are very impressive.