I am not really sure what y'all are looking for. Complaining he's making $8-mill next year and that he didn't get us past the Leafs is a bit of bunk from my perspective. Two goalies earning more than him never made the playoffs. This fanbase needs to be more realistic at times. I'd say, like the team, Ullmark made strides in the playoffs this year. He had his first playoff shutout and didn't play that bad in game 6. Saying we need this or we need that or expecting Meri to save the day are pretty unrealistic expectations honestly.
If saying we need top goaltending in the playoffs to win a cup in unrealistic for ullmark, then he's not the guy
That core is not good enough. Although they’re all good players. The unit overall is not good enough.
Missing a stud or two for sure.
I feel like when you compare it to:
Alfredsson
Hossa/heatley
Havlat
Spezza
Redden
Chara
Hasek
Etc.
Then guys like 30 goal, 70 point McEachern, 50-70 point bonk, 40-50 point Fisher, Chris Neil, etc.
You had a better core with guys destined for the ball of fame... And then your supporting cast was capable of 30 goals and 70 points in big year.
Were lacking that depth and top end talent. As good as Tkachuk and stutzle are...are they Hossa/Alfredsson hall of fame good? If they are, where's our Heatley,Spezza, havlat, to round out the offense? Where's our endless supply of 2way 50 point centers like white and Smolinski and fisher?
Is Sanderson going to rank as high as Chara all time? If so, where's his redden?
Then we're going to need ullmark to beat lalime or Anderson's playoff numbers. Go look at both of them. Can ullmark top them?
Then you realize the team I'm comparing them to never won a cup...so they actually have to SURPASS the team they're well behind when it comes to personnel.