The fact that they did nothing in goal is more proof I think that this is a stealth rebuild year. I'm fairly certain the plan is to see UPL for the last 10-15 games and see if he can be a #1 next year. These two are just filling up the roster until then.

Almost no one mentions goal, but if the two goalies just had an average gaa of 2.80 (not great), we give up 20 less goals or so last year. That's halfway to being good.
- matty12345

So they didn't ship out their RFA and UFA-in-2-years because they want to rebuild.

mk. That whole first paragraph is a bucket of Nope.

Nope.

Just. Plain. Nope.
- Der Kaiser

Oh my god not this crap again?
- BeadyEyedDouche

I like money
- jochfr

Find a tree

Hutton is an average to slightly above average Back up and below average starter, much like Marty Biron was. However I do believe that his play with improve greatly with the changes we made on Defense this year.

I still don't think that we are a playoff team, I think we will compete for the 8th spot all year, but fall short. who knows what will happen, this team has talent and could play above expectations and it would not surprise me at all if that happened.

The fact that they did nothing in goal is more proof I think that this is a stealth rebuild year. I'm fairly certain the plan is to see UPL for the last 10-15 games and see if he can be a #1 next year. These two are just filling up the roster until then.

Almost no one mentions goal, but if the two goalies just had an average gaa of 2.80 (not great), we give up 20 less goals or so last year. That's halfway to being good.
- matty12345

Yeah that will make jack happy

Hutton is an average to slightly above average Back up and below average starter, much like Marty Biron was. However I do believe that his play with improve greatly with the changes we made on Defense this year.

I still don't think that we are a playoff team, I think we will compete for the 8th spot all year, but fall short. who knows what will happen, this team has talent and could play above expectations and it would not surprise me at all if that happened.
- hehateme

Ohhhhh those Marty fans are going to take you down

The Buffalo Sabres: Rebuilding just to rebuild and stealth tanking so stealthily that everyone knows they're stealth tanking. Only Shin Godzilla himself could penetrate the stealth of the tank that is the Buffalo Sabres.

What's that glow? It's the Buffalo Sabres 2019/2020 tank and no stealth can contain it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhCFiHMSyAw

Ohhhhh those Marty fans are going to take you down
- gerbe75pts

No, it's true. However, if he was the goalie for this team for all those years that Miller was, we're in the same spot we are now.

So Clowney to the Dolphins ?

Alright then

No, it's true. However, if he was the goalie for this team for all those years that Miller was, we're in the same spot we are now.
- BeadyEyedDouche

.... with a young miller we be in the playoffs easy

Ullmark still has a chance to be a true NHL starter, although his window is rapidly closing. This is a make it or break it year for him.
- Angler

Honestly, as the season wore on, I thought his positioning was atrocious and by far his biggest flaw. He was never square to the shooter, didn't hug his posts enough and he looked really slow and sluggish at times.

I have no confidence he will become anything more than Enroth 2.0 at this point.

I do, however, think Hutton has a bounce-back year: 2.46 GAA and a .913 sv%

.... with a young miller we be in the playoffs easy
- gerbe75pts

Nope. He would be too busy having emotional meltdowns and pouting about getting beat high glove side 4 times a game, as if it's the defenses fault that his glove hand is weak.

Ohhhhh those Marty fans are going to take you down
- gerbe75pts

You don't even have to be a fan of Marty to think he was significantly better than Hutton.

.... with a young miller we be in the playoffs easy
- gerbe75pts

Not if they still cant score.

Which reminds me: Hutton is 100% going to cash an empty netter this year. It's gonna be great

I really did think the fact that Botterill only had $3 million of cap space put into goaltending was a sign he knew what he was doing. I still like the fact that it's only $4 million this year. That being said, defense and coaching needs to make up that gap in order for it to work.
- buffalofan19

What do you think of Bales being involved in both defense and offense to go alnog with his goalie coach duties?

What do you think of Bales being involved in both defense and offense to go alnog with his goalie coach duties?
- Michael Pachla

I think his forte is goaltending. If that improves, I'm happy with it.

As far as the rest of it goes, he seems very well respected around the league, so I am definitely willing to give it a shot.

You don't even have to be a fan of Marty to think he was significantly better than Hutton.
- Lunaion

Marty and Hutton are the same... Good to great back ups, Meh starters...

However I do believe that his play with improve greatly with the changes we made on Defense this year.

.
- hehateme

The changes on defense are not the biggest thing that will help our goalies improve. They will have some impact, however the biggest change that will help would be our forwards learning how to play in our own zone. This is where the additions of Johansson and Vesey hopefully will encourage the team to play as a unit as opposed to what we saw last season. Many times the forwards would be turned up ice, skating away from the play before ensuring the D had control of the puck.

Nope. He would be too busy having emotional meltdowns and pouting about getting beat high glove side 4 times a game, as if it's the defenses fault that his glove hand is weak.
- BeadyEyedDouche

Or he be keeping the team in the game like he always did

What do you think of Bales being involved in both defense and offense to go alnog with his goalie coach duties?
- Michael Pachla

I expect a greater integration of Hutton's A+ puck handling and the defense

You don't even have to be a fan of Marty to think he was significantly better than Hutton.
- Lunaion

Coming from a Marty fan?

Doesn't matter because in 20/21 it will be Luukkonen's team!!

He's going to be the future

I expect a greater integration of Hutton's A+ puck handling and the defense
- jcragcrumple

Any less than 1 empty net goal is unacceptable.

Any less than 1 empty net goal is unacceptable.
- buffalofan19

It's happening