Does anyone know who we are using in goal other than Ullmark?

[Buffalo Rick]

I thought I had seen we picked up goalie Smith? But I do not see him on the roster.  I have no idea who is in goal?  Likely Hutton with my luck?  At least Ulmark will have to play half the games.  A good thing for us. If you look at a team like the Flyers, not a good thing the way the schedule is. That means their fine starter will have to allow the backup to play half the games.  

 

[JR Ewing]

a) The Oilers re-signed Mike Smith early in free agency.

b) I absolutely wish that Mike Smith was a Sabre rather than Oilers property.

 

There's not much that Smith could have done to help the Sabres in net; he's only marginally better than Hutton. It's goaltending which is the most likely thing to hurt the Sabres this year, as I don't see a team with a worse tandem: Hutton's a replacement-level goaltender and Ullmark isn't much better than replacement-level himself.

 

But... Goalies are goalies, and one of them could catch fire this season. It happens.

 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

9 hours ago, Hockey Junkie said:

I thought I had seen we picked up goalie Smith? But I do not see him on the roster.  I have no idea who is in goal?  Likely Hutton with my luck?  At least Ulmark will have to play half the games.  A good thing for us. If you look at a team like the Flyers, not a good thing the way the schedule is. That means their fine starter will have to allow the backup to play half the games.  

 

 

From the looks of it, Ullmark and Hutton are your goalies to start.
If one of them REALLY goes south, you have journeyman AHL/NHL goalie Dustin Tokarski in the minors (or wherever it is NHL teams are stashing non roster players these days), as well as young, 21 yr old Ukko Luukkonen.

Tokarski, now 31, seems to be that classic case of 'good to fantastic minor league numbers....but can't seem to quite get over the hump to stay on an NHL roster'.

But, if the Sabres are realistic about what to expect this season, their focus should be on getting more than one scoring line going, having their defense not be Swiss cheese, and hope the duo of Ullmark and Hutton can do just enough to keep the Sabres in games.

If a guy like Luukkonen really is some sort of heir apparent, you'd want him developed a bit more and hopefully have a better lineup on the ice in front of him if and when he gets to the NHL.
 

[yave1964]

As @TropicalFruitGirl26 said, it is still Ullmark and Hutton sharing the net with Luukkonen ready to step up.

[Buffalo Rick]

1 hour ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

 

From the looks of it, Ullmark and Hutton are your goalies to start.
If one of them REALLY goes south, you have journeyman AHL/NHL goalie Dustin Tokarski in the minors (or wherever it is NHL teams are stashing non roster players these days), as well as young, 21 yr old Ukko Luukkonen.

Tokarski, now 31, seems to be that classic case of 'good to fantastic minor league numbers....but can't seem to quite get over the hump to stay on an NHL roster'.

But, if the Sabres are realistic about what to expect this season, their focus should be on getting more than one scoring line going, having their defense not be Swiss cheese, and hope the duo of Ullmark and Hutton can do just enough to keep the Sabres in games.

If a guy like Luukkonen really is some sort of heir apparent, you'd want him developed a bit more and hopefully have a better lineup on the ice in front of him if and when he gets to the NHL.
 

I think our lineup is much improved but Hutton is the worry

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

1 minute ago, Hockey Junkie said:

I think our lineup is much improved but Hutton is the worry

 

On paper, yes, I agree.

But, as we know, games aren't played on paper, and while I think having guys like Eichel, Hall, Skinner, Staal, and Reinhart in your top six should be a recipe for offensive success, there is real danger in that group of health being an issue (as in injuries, not Covid) throwing things out of wack and not having the proper depth to compensate.

Also, if the defense can't keep other teams from flying through the neutral zone and getting good looks at the goalies, then that offense won't have time to do its thing.....they'll spend way too much time playing D (or attempting to), which is not what their skillsets do best.

If players like Tage Thompson, Victor Olfoffsson, Dylan Cozens can step up and/or stay consistent, that could go a LONG way towards relieving the top six of any pressure.
And Kyle Okposo.
Is he what he is? Or is he finally going to play like what they paid him for?

Bottom line is, even guys like Linus and Carter can look REAL good if the team in front of them stays healthy and everyone is doing what they are supposed to.

[Buffalo Rick]

5 minutes ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

 

On paper, yes, I agree.

But, as we know, games aren't played on paper, and while I think having guys like Eichel, Hall, Skinner, Staal, and Reinhart in your top six should be a recipe for offensive success, there is real danger in that group of health being an issue (as in injuries, not Covid) throwing things out of wack and not having the proper depth to compensate.

Also, if the defense can't keep other teams from flying through the neutral zone and getting good looks at the goalies, then that offense won't have time to do its thing.....they'll spend way too much time playing D (or attempting to), which is not what their skillsets do best.

If players like Tage Thompson, Victor Olfoffsson, Dylan Cozens can step up and/or stay consistent, that could go a LONG way towards relieving the top six of any pressure.
And Kyle Okposo.
Is he what he is? Or is he finally going to play like what they paid him for?

Bottom line is, even guys like Linus and Carter can look REAL good if the team in front of them stays healthy and everyone is doing what they are supposed to.

Agree, I do like most of our blue line also. I have faith in Ullmark no doubt having to play half the games at least? But not  Hutton.  These back to backs are forcing teams to play their backups often.  I had seen somewhere we had signed Smith but it must have fallen through?  Ullmark might be the first guy?  No clue.  Too bust hoping the Bills win the Super Bowl.  Nice chatting

[Buffalo Rick]

10 hours ago, JR Ewing said:

a) The Oilers re-signed Mike Smith early in free agency.

b) I absolutely wish that Mike Smith was a Sabre rather than Oilers property.

 

There's not much that Smith could have done to help the Sabres in net; he's only marginally better than Hutton. It's goaltending which is the most likely thing to hurt the Sabres this year, as I don't see a team with a worse tandem: Hutton's a replacement-level goaltender and Ullmark isn't much better than replacement-level himself.

 

But... Goalies are goalies, and one of them could catch fire this season. It happens.

 

Or we could win 8-7 every night!  Lol

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

1 minute ago, Hockey Junkie said:

Agree, I do like most of our blue line also. I have faith in Ullmark no doubt having to play half the games at least? But not  Hutton.  These back to backs are forcing teams to play their backups often.  I had seen somewhere we had signed Smith but it must have fallen through?  Ullmark might be the first guy?  No clue.  Too bust hoping the Bills win the Super Bowl.  Nice chatting

 

I think you truly have a situation in Buffalo where its a 1A/1B situation.

Then again, things being what they are now with all the back to backs, and condensed schedules, I don't think ANY team can just sit back and rely on one goalie....not even teams with established number ones like TB, NYI, or Philadelphia, just to name a few.

If I were to choose one of your goalies to be the "weak link", yea, I'd say it is Hutton.
But again, we will see. If the Sabres can find offense the likes of which they have never been able to find in recent memory due to the new additions, then perhaps neither Ullmark or Hutton need to stand on their heads on a nightly basis.

As for Smith, well, JR already said it.... even if Buffalo did sign him, I don't think he would have moved the needle much at this point in his career beyond what you already have in net.

If you want your team to look towards the future and stay a competitive team year after year, ya gotta go younger....and that means guys like Luukkanen, not Smith.

[Buffalo Rick]

2 minutes ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

 

I think you truly have a situation in Buffalo where its a 1A/1B situation.

Then again, things being what they are now with all the back to backs, and condensed schedules, I don't think ANY team can just sit back and rely on one goalie....not even teams with established number ones like TB, NYI, or Philadelphia, just to name a few.

If I were to choose one of your goalies to be the "weak link", yea, I'd say it is Hutton.
But again, we will see. If the Sabres can find offense the likes of which they have never been able to find in recent memory due to the new additions, then perhaps neither Ullmark or Hutton need to stand on their heads on a nightly basis.

As for Smith, well, JR already said it.... even if Buffalo did sign him, I don't think he would have moved the needle much at this point in his career beyond what you already have in net.

If you want your team to look towards the future and stay a competitive team year after year, ya gotta go younger....and that means guys like Luukkanen, not Smith.

Outside of Hutton I think we can be competitive.  I think Boston will have a bad year.  Bye bye to the big guy

[Buffalo Rick]

It appears Ullmark is the starter according to CBS?  As great a job as Adams did in the off season, getting us Hall and Stahl, we still are stuck with Hutton.  Now he was a good goalie in St Louis.  Maybe he bounces back.   You know, like Josh Allen?  Or he has us between a financial rock and  a hard place, kind of like Wentz and your Eagles

[Buffalo Rick]

14 hours ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

 

From the looks of it, Ullmark and Hutton are your goalies to start.
If one of them REALLY goes south, you have journeyman AHL/NHL goalie Dustin Tokarski in the minors (or wherever it is NHL teams are stashing non roster players these days), as well as young, 21 yr old Ukko Luukkonen.

Tokarski, now 31, seems to be that classic case of 'good to fantastic minor league numbers....but can't seem to quite get over the hump to stay on an NHL roster'.

But, if the Sabres are realistic about what to expect this season, their focus should be on getting more than one scoring line going, having their defense not be Swiss cheese, and hope the duo of Ullmark and Hutton can do just enough to keep the Sabres in games.

If a guy like Luukkonen really is some sort of heir apparent, you'd want him developed a bit more and hopefully have a better lineup on the ice in front of him if and when he gets to the NHL.
 

3 AHL teams are not going to play this year.  Most notably the Springfield team that has been in the league forever.  Like  Rochester and Hershey and such.  They were the Kings in the 70s, them the Indians, and then Falcons I believe. Now?  Who knows.  But its a good hockey town.  That is why I love the relationship between my Sabres and Rochester Americans.  1 hour up the 90 (NY St Thruway).  Speaking of which, all the toll booth workers lost their jobs due to Covid.  How about your state?  Or province?  Now you have to have this gadget on your windshield that automatically pays the toll with electronic monitoring at each stop.  If you do not have it you pay more as  the bill comes in the mail, eventually.  That is another sore subject. The bloody US mail.  Gone to hell in a hand basket