hey

He's also been below average in 3 of those 4 seasons. I'm not going to get sentimental about the 1 season where he was slightly above average. If you were betting, and he plays 30+ next season, odds are a slightly below average season.

If you go with Ullmark, you really need a better backup.
- Lunaion

i'm not convinced he's the guy, but he's shown that he can handle a load...prior to buffalo he played 27 games in boston with a 2.10 gaa and .925 sv%...

I’m just mentioning the really good goalies usually cost that much but you get the same production out of the lower Standard goalie
- gerbe75pts

corey Crawford makes $6m...some point to poor goaltending (bottom-10 in the league) as one of the main reasons the hawks are where they are this season...robin Lehner made $4m and...well, we know what he's done...tuuka rask in boston makes $7m in boston and he's a big reason they're near the top of the eastern conference...bruins have the third best goaltending in the league behind quick ($5.8m) and the kings, rinne ($7m) and the preds

i'm not convinced he's the guy, but he's shown that he can handle a load...prior to buffalo he played 27 games in boston with a 2.10 gaa and .925 sv%...
- Michael Pachla

I just don't think the stats are misleading on him. He might be able to handle 40 games, but he's a below average goalie. If you can upgrade, you do it.

It's always very easy to be a Hindsight GM, I prefer to be forward thinking, it pains me to have to read in the BN from the likes of Sully and Gleason and Harrington all of the bad things that have happened to this team through the years. They never write articles about the run to the Finals against Dallas, but Sully can write about how Housley failed to block a shot against New Jersey in 1980. We all know how much he despises Housley. GMJB is starting to get the players into the organization that will turn this ship around. Olofsson, Asplund, Pu, Borgen, hopefully Budik and Hagel decide to come on board, Jacob Bryson and Linus Weissbach both had solid freshman years respectfully, Daniel O'Regan is a sneaky good scorer, Sean Malone is playing very well in Rochester of late, He could be exactly what a 4th line center should be, because he will understand his role within the team. Let's not forget about the young Defenseman from Finland Oskari Lakssanan? playing big minutes in both leagues that he is playing over there and was a media darling during Development camp. I see this team trending upward very soon and I for one am ready to enjoy the ride.
- macman9

Great post! Nice to see.....

I just don't think the stats are misleading on him. He might be able to handle 40 games, but he's a below average goalie. If you can upgrade, you do it.
- Lunaion

most backups have below average stats to begin with, that's why they're backups

Thank You

most backups have below average stats to begin with, that's why they're backups
- Michael Pachla

True enough. I think saying he's an average backup is generous (considering he's one of the worst this season). I don't think there's any reason to expect real improvement from him. He looks like journeyman, who's likely to bounce around and play for a dozen teams. He was a good backup for Lehner, he's a bad backup for Ullmark.

not so sure I "dismissed it," as I usually have reservations about a young goalie taking on starter responsibilities...Ullmark is gonna need a seasoned vet to help him get through things...who that vet might be is still up in the air and I still haven't ruled out johnson
- Michael Pachla

im pretty sure you said something along the lines of "hardly an issue" lol

Grubauer is a decent option but failing that I'd take a chance on Kari Lehtonen


On a high flying team like the Stars, he's got a really good high danger save percentage.

Who’s in the nets tonight ?
Linus ?

True enough. I think saying he's an average backup is generous (considering he's one of the worst this season). I don't think there's any reason to expect real improvement from him. He looks like journeyman, who's likely to bounce around and play for a dozen teams. He was a good backup for Lehner, he's a bad backup for Ullmark.
- Lunaion

So hes a good backup for the worst starting goalie in the league?

The Humboldt Broncos tragedy has shaken the entire hockey world . For any that want to contribute to the fund . Here is the link.

https://www.gofundme.com/...unds-for-humboldt-broncos

most backups have below average stats to begin with, that's why they're backups
- Michael Pachla

I think you wrote a blog a few weeks ago suggesting Chad would be a great back up in buffalo to help mentor a young goalie. At the time, I completely agreed.
Chad looked like a piece moving forward.

Since then, I can see why his hometown flames let him go from their back up position.
He has done the Sabres a tremendous favor by playing this season, we now have a top 4 pick. Hes a tanker.

Chad needs to go, if were trying to win.

And that’s it for the Panthers

So hes a good backup for the worst starting goalie in the league?
- TheHank

We are in bottom 5 at
starting goalie: Lehner
Back up goalie : Chad

They can't come back

So hes a good backup for the worst starting goalie in the league?
- TheHank

Yes, because he's expected to only play 20-25 games and there's an NHL-ready prospect in Rochester. As much as I don't like Lehner, he was not the worst starting goalie in the NHL. Please don't make me defend him, I despise doing it.

Ullmark's back will be expected to play more.

We are in bottom 5 at
starting goalie: Lehner
Back up goalie : Chad

They can't come back
- Boss34

We are also last in goal scoring. To me thats the bigger issue. I know the defense and goaltending needs to be better but goal scoring is the deciding factor in the nhl right now imo.

Yes, because he's expected to only play 20-25 games and there's an NHL-ready prospect in Rochester. As much as I don't like Lehner, he was not the worst starting goalie in the NHL. Please don't make me defend him, I despise doing it.

Ullmark's back will be expected to play more.
- Lunaion

If youre going by stats alone, sure hes not the worst.

We are also last in goal scoring. To me thats the bigger issue. I know the defense and goaltending needs to be better but goal scoring is the deciding factor in the nhl right now imo.
- TheHank

Once we fix the goaltending, defense and offense, we should be pretty good

We are also last in goal scoring. To me thats the bigger issue. I know the defense and goaltending needs to be better but goal scoring is the deciding factor in the nhl right now imo.
- TheHank

Goalscoring :

Nolan
Girgs
Larson
Poiliot
Babs
Bailey
Cristo
Seth g
Wilson

Antipin
Scandella
Bowl u


Thats a lot of bad goal scores on 1 team.
Guys need to play complete seasons and finish more

figure half of them would be nhl players at some point, 4 bodies to plug on the bottom half of the roster and 4 prospects for rochester

vs bogo and ror

the pick we got for kane, would already be in the pipeline as we would have received a pick for staff at deadline

probably would have gotten a better player than nylander in that draft as well

top 6 d of myers, risto, guhle, zads, mccabe, mcnabb
compher as a second line winger
armia as a third line winger

pretty sure lemieux would have signed at some point

goalies would not have been worse than johnson/lehner combo

etc
etc
etc

then again if murray didn't make those trades, he would probably still be here

-homiedclown

McNabb would’ve been traded still for Fasching, bc Murray is an idiot

So, as far as the defense goes...
Myers & Zadorov > Bogo & Scandella
I’ll give u that
But that defense still would need work imo, and it also means we probably have almost no chance at Dahlin this season

Dahlin >>>>>>>>> Myers + Zads
So we’ll have to see how the lotto goes to really be able to say if we’d be better off or not

As far as the forwards go...
Compher isn’t a 2nd liner, not currently anyways
Doesn’t look like he’ll be much of a scorer,
so I’d say he’s got a 3rd line ceiling
Armia & Lemieux also looks like they top out as 3rd liners, although Lemieux could reach a little higher depending on if he can score at this level

But as of right NOW...
O’Reilly >>>>> Compher, Armia & Lemieux
And we have plenty of “3rd liners” coming
(Bailey, Baptiste, Smith, E Rod, etc)


So basically
if we get Dahlin, this current group is better than if we never made those trades...
for right NOW
Obviously would depend on how all those draft picks would/wouldn’t work out over the next several seasons

Once we fix the goaltending, defense and offense, we should be pretty good
- washedup20

That pretty much sums it up.

But looking at Rochester and our system, i see us being lightest on defense still

corey Crawford makes $6m...some point to poor goaltending (bottom-10 in the league) as one of the main reasons the hawks are where they are this season...robin Lehner made $4m and...well, we know what he's done...tuuka rask in boston makes $7m in boston and he's a big reason they're near the top of the eastern conference...bruins have the third best goaltending in the league behind quick ($5.8m) and the kings, rinne ($7m) and the preds
- Michael Pachla

One of the biggest farces on here is that “goaltending doesn’t matter”

That’s a load of crap

Edmonton this year vs last year’s playoff team- the difference?
Goaltending this year was sh!tty
Last year it was good

It matters
It matters A LOT

Can u get good goaltending at a discount?
Sometimes
That’s certainly ideal

But the bottom line is that you do need good goaltending

I still say if we kept myers, armia, lemieux, zads, compher, mcnabb
flipped staff at deadline
don't trade for lehner, disco sucks, vesey

and kept our picks 2 firsts, 4 2nds, 2 thirds


this team would be on par with the leafs by next season
- homiedclown

I love ROR, but this is a good post