Player Discussion All Purpose Goaltending Thread

[Bendium]

UPL, Comrie, AND our team defense suck. KA has ALOT to fix this offseason, and no more of this developmental crap.

Comrie gone and a legit NHL starter in the #1 spot. UPL the backup because he is too young to give up on yet.

Defensman #4 MUST be addressed. Bryson must be gone. Any of Joker, Boosh, Stillman can be upgraded.

Special teams and defensive coaches need to be fired and replaced.

Get Cozens his own Tuch. A legit 2nd line 2 way winger.

Bottom six must be rebuilt. Trade either Mitts or Greenway. Olofsson HAS to be gone. Pick one of Jost or Krebs and trade the other. KO needs to hang them up.

I wrote this up on the whim in 3 min. Is it really that hard KA? Get to work!

Also....... Raise the Bar!

 

[WeDislikeEich]

Is anyone else starting to question Mike Bales?

I know he hasn’t had much to work with, but still… I just haven’t seen much (if any) improvement in any of the goaltenders he’s worked with here.

When we had Jim Corsi it seemed like we always had competent goaltending even from our backups. When Arturs Irbe was here for a season, same thing.

Bales…? It’s hard not to start to question how good of a goaltending coach he is.

 

[Zman5778]

Is anyone else starting to question Mike Bales?

I know he hasn’t had much to work with, but still… I just haven’t seen much (if any) improvement in any of the goaltenders he’s worked with here.

When we had Jim Corsi it seemed like we always had competent goaltending even from our backups. When Arturs Irbe was here for a season, same thing.

Bales…? It’s hard not to start to question how good of a goaltending coach he is.

Starting to? Been questioning him for a year or so now.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

UPL, Comrie, AND our team defense suck. KA has ALOT to fix this offseason, and no more of this developmental crap.

Comrie gone and a legit NHL starter in the #1 spot. UPL the backup because he is too young to give up on yet.

Defensman #4 MUST be addressed. Bryson must be gone. Any of Joker, Boosh, Stillman can be upgraded.

Special teams and defensive coaches need to be fired and replaced.

Get Cozens his own Tuch. A legit 2nd line 2 way winger.

Bottom six must be rebuilt. Trade either Mitts or Greenway. Olofsson HAS to be gone. Pick one of Jost or Krebs and trade the other. KO needs to hang them up.

I wrote this up on the whim in 3 min. Is it really that hard KA? Get to work!

Also....... Raise the Bar!

I'm pretty much in agreement, but it's strange to want a two-way winger for Cozens, and then say to trade Mittelstadt. Mitts has been one of the top 3-4 FWs in 2023 and I'm not sure why I keep seeing posters suggest trading him. He's exactly what we don't have enough of for the bottom 9. He's quietly been one of the developmental success stories this season.

 

[Bendium]

I'm pretty much in agreement, but it's strange to want a two-way winger for Cozens, and then say to trade Mittelstadt. Mitts has been one of the top 3-4 FWs in 2023 and I'm not sure why I keep seeing posters suggest trading him. He's exactly what we don't have enough of for the bottom 9. He's quietly been one of the developmental success stories this season.

I do not see the right player on the team to take that 2nd line position with Quinn and Cozens. Its the ceiling for Kulich, but he is 3-4 years away from that. JJP and Quinn on the same line doesn't have enough physicallity and size for a second line. We need a true second line 200 ft physical power forward in that spot. So we got to go get one. Mitts has been better since going to the wing, but he has not become a 2-way 200 ft second line winger. He could be a very solid third line winger as long as your third line is a scoring line, not a checking line. I didn't say trade him, but him and Greenway are currently competing for the same third line winger spot on the same side. So I said pick one and trade the other. Same with Krebs and Jost. I prefer Krebs upside.

Example.

Skinner - Tage - Tuch
Quinn - Cozens - ???New Player
Mitts or Greenway - Krebs - JJP
Girgs/New - New Possession Center - New Possession Vet

If you can get the right 4th line with grit and size, then go with Mitts 3rd line is fine. Otherwise you likely don't want to give up Greenways size and physicality.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

I do not see the right player on the team to take that 2nd line position with Quinn and Cozens. Its the ceiling for Kulich, but he is 3-4 years away from that. JJP and Quinn on the same line doesn't have enough physicallity and size for a second line. We need a true second line 200 ft physical power forward in that spot. So we got to go get one. Mitts has been better since going to the wing, but he has not become a 2-way 200 ft second line winger. He could be a very solid third line winger as long as your third line is a scoring line, not a checking line. I didn't say trade him, but him and Greenway are currently competing for the same third line winger spot on the same side. So I said pick one and trade the other. Same with Krebs and Jost. I prefer Krebs upside.

Example.

Skinner - Tage - Tuch
Quinn - Cozens - ???New Player
Mitts or Greenway - Krebs - JJP
Girgs/New - New Possession Center - New Possession Vet

If you can get the right 4th line with grit and size, then go with Mitts 3rd line is fine. Otherwise you likely don't want to give up Greenways size and physicality.

I'm not debating whether Mitts should take a 2nd line spot (he could). I'm saying you want a player for that 2nd line spot, and describe a player almost exactly like Mitts. Then you suggest there should be a choice between keeping Greenway or Mitts because they're competing for the same spot (they really aren't), when that choice isn't even close. Mitts is so far beyond Greenway's value it's very curious to see someone suggest it should be an either/or between them. Greenway is a reclamation project that doesn't use his size to be a physical force that he could be...for 3 mil a year. Mitts is a possession demon, and younger with more development time to go.

 

[WiHockeyGuy]

Starting to? Been questioning him for a year or so now.

I'm there too. Corsi, Irbe, Allen, all seemed to get more out of "lesser" goaltenders. The results from Bales' goaltenders does not impress me one bit. I'd be very open to a change there.

 

[Bendium]

I'm not debating whether Mitts should take a 2nd line spot (he could). I'm saying you want a player for that 2nd line spot, and describe a player almost exactly like Mitts. Then you suggest there should be a choice between keeping Greenway or Mitts because they're competing for the same spot (they really aren't), when that choice isn't even close. Mitts is so far beyond Greenway's value it's very curious to see someone suggest it should be an either/or between them. Greenway is a reclamation project that doesn't use his size to be a physical force that he could be...for 3 mil a year. Mitts is a possession demon, and younger with more development time to go.

Yeah, we just don't agree about Mitts. You say I am describing him, "We need a true second line 200 ft physical power forward." I don't see him as that kind of second line winger. He is a third line winger to me. Is he better for the third line than Greenway? That depends on how you are building the third line. Any way you look at it, your top two left wing are Skinner and Quinn. Neither Greenway or Mitts is ideal for the 4th line role, so you still have to pick one to man the third line LW, and the other can go.

 

[WeDislikeEich]

Starting to? Been questioning him for a year or so now.

I'm there too. Corsi, Irbe, Allen, all seemed to get more out of "lesser" goaltenders. The results from Bales' goaltenders does not impress me one bit. I'd be very open to a change there.

glad i'm not the only one.

I would definitely like to see a change there! But i am not sure it happens.

 

[Jim Bob]

I'm there too. Corsi, Irbe, Allen, all seemed to get more out of "lesser" goaltenders. The results from Bales' goaltenders does not impress me one bit. I'd be very open to a change there.

I think that takes away the effect the system in front of the goalies has on the goalies.

Some of the tank teams played a style that inflated the goalie numbers because they gave up a ton of low danger chances. And under Granato, the team leaks high danger chances, odd man rushes, and passes across the slot line like crazy.

 

[MilkshakeMan]

I'm there too. Corsi, Irbe, Allen, all seemed to get more out of "lesser" goaltenders. The results from Bales' goaltenders does not impress me one bit. I'd be very open to a change there.

Anyway we can steal Mitch Korn back off the island? He's the Isles "Director of Goaltending" so sounds like it's more of a front office job than a coaching one.

 

[WiHockeyGuy]

I think that takes away the effect the system in front of the goalies has on the goalies.

Some of the tank teams played a style that inflated the goalie numbers because they gave up a ton of low danger chances. And under Granato, the team leaks high danger chances, odd man rushes, and passes across the slot line like crazy.

Very fair point.

 

[Jim Bob]

Anyway we can steal Mitch Korn back off the island? He's the Isles "Director of Goaltending" so sounds like it's more of a front office job than a coaching one.

Mitch does not want to coach day to day any more.

I have mentioned it before, but I would love it if the Sabres invested in a real Department of Goalie Excellence and hired Ryan Miller as the Director of Goaltending to lead it.

If I were able to buy the Sabres tomorrow, the two places I would meddle on the hockey side of things, it would be with respect to creating a real Department of Goalie Excellence and an upgrade in investment in the Player Performance Department (Strength & Conditioning, nutrition, mental performance, and mental health).

 

[WhereAreTheCookies]

Anyway we can steal Mitch Korn back off the island? He's the Isles "Director of Goaltending" so sounds like it's more of a front office job than a coaching one.

I've wanted Korn back since Trotz left the Island. I expect that he may end up in Nashville next season once Trotz takes over officially given he's basically followed him around since leaving the Sabres.

 

[Jim Bob]

Very fair point.

It is tough for me to really question Bales. He could be a problem. Or, it could be way more about the system in front of the goalies and the goalies he has to work with.

Kotyk has a lot on his plate. But, I think he has done a decent job in his role.

If they did build out a Department of Goalie Excellence, then you would have a Director of Goaltending that would be in the perfect place to make a call like that.

 

[Jim Bob]

NHL News | NHL.com

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This is a really cool article.

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And here is a trend that might gain traction moving forward.

 

[oldgoalie]

Mitch does not want to coach day to day any more.

I have mentioned it before, but I would love it if the Sabres invested in a real Department of Goalie Excellence and hired Ryan Miller as the Director of Goaltending to lead it.

If I were able to buy the Sabres tomorrow, the two places I would meddle on the hockey side of things, it would be with respect to creating a real Department of Goalie Excellence and an upgrade in investment in the Player Performance Department (Strength & Conditioning, nutrition, mental performance, and mental health).

so much this... all day, every day.

 

[oldgoalie]

just throwing this out there.
Quick is 4-0 since the trade, with a .930 and one shutout. who said he was past his prime?

 

[Jim Bob]

just throwing this out there.
Quick is 4-0 since the trade, with a .930 and one shutout. who said he was past his prime?

I am surprised he has looked this good since the trades.

 

[oldgoalie]

I am surprised he has looked this good since the trades.

I'd take this "past his prime" performance any day of the week.

 

[Chainshot]

I'd take this "past his prime" performance any day of the week.

There is certainly a fair measure of prove it in what he's doing. The Knights may also face off against the Kings to start the playoffs. That's potentially explosive if it's Quick and he does what he's doing in these games for Vegas against his old team, especially with how the team talked about his departure.

 

[WhereAreTheCookies]

just throwing this out there.
Quick is 4-0 since the trade, with a .930 and one shutout. who said he was past his prime?

4-1 with a .904 save% now. His shutout was also inflating his save% due to the low number of games.

5 games played, 1 shutout and also save %'s of .893, .919, .900, and .793. He's realistically has 2 good games, 2 poor games, and one absolutely awful one. As for how he's looked in those games, I haven't watched any. But if we are just basing it off stats, he looks to have simply had 2 decent games out of 5.

 

[Dubi Doo]

just throwing this out there.
Quick is 4-0 since the trade, with a .930 and one shutout. who said he was past his prime?

Dammit. I want to like the Knights so badly. I love how they play, I like a lot of their players, their jerseys are cool, and Quick is one of my favs, but Eichel!

Meh. You all may hate me for this, but I just may root for them.

 

[oldgoalie]

4-1 with a .904 save% now. His shutout was also inflating his save% due to the low number of games.

5 games played, 1 shutout and also save %'s of .893, .919, .900, and .793. He's realistically has 2 good games, 2 poor games, and one absolutely awful one. As for how he's looked in those games, I haven't watched any. But if we are just basing it off stats, he looks to have simply had 2 decent games out of 5.

thanks for distilling that data for me.

 

[BUCKSHOT]

Anyway we can steal Mitch Korn back off the island? He's the Isles "Director of Goaltending" so sounds like it's more of a front office job than a coaching one.

Mitch does not want to coach day to day any more.

I have mentioned it before, but I would love it if the Sabres invested in a real Department of Goalie Excellence and hired Ryan Miller as the Director of Goaltending to lead it.

If I were able to buy the Sabres tomorrow, the two places I would meddle on the hockey side of things, it would be with respect to creating a real Department of Goalie Excellence and an upgrade in investment in the Player Performance Department (Strength & Conditioning, nutrition, mental performance, and mental health).

goaltending coach Craig Anderson ?