Thats quite the assumption, probably need a better tandem to do that

I should have specified that they made the 2nd round the previous year (this upcoming season).

Ullmark is a good goalie.

Im aware that you were talking about the upcoming season

Ullmark is a fine 1A/1B goalie. Similar to Rittich in Calgary. Hutton is the issue

I suppose we shall see if he was able to correct his vision problems and if he will revert back to form in reduced minutes.

I think Ullmark will take a step this year if healthy and establish himself as a solid #1 goalie.

No one is taking on that Okposo contract regardless of what the actual money is like. So far cap dump contracts like Okposo have not been easy to move this offseason and you should expect the same next. Its going to cost a lot more than a C-level prospect and a 2nd rounder thats 2 seasons away.

I said the same thing last year about Rittich

I think after another year of no or limited fans, teams will be desperate to hit the cap floor.

Paying Kyle Okposo 2 million a year for 2 years is nothing. I can add something else, but I think you are being pretty rigid in your assessment.

Thankfully, I'm talking about Linus Ullmark, not David Rittich.

Sure...

I'm also looking at Ullmarks stats while playing exclusively on terrible teams.

Another year in Kreugers defensive system with Dahlin and Jokiharju a year older and with better fowards, I see no reason for his numbers to not improve.

Interesting that you think this about other teams but not the Sabres and Pegula's who were rumored to want an internal cap after their other businesses have been struggling. Why would the Pegula's not prefer to pay Okposo's 2 rather than Hall's big payday if the financial situation was so rough around the league?

I resigned Hall....

Not every team will be hit the same way, not every owner is as wealthy as others.

His numbers are fine like I said. I just think your expectations for him are way to high. Hutton os not a reliable backup and that will be the bane of this team.

Way too high? I said he will establish himself as a solid starting goaltender. If Hutton is merely an average BACK UP, then the goaltending will be fine. Where the most improvement will be is increased offensive output, which has been pathetic.

You're right but we have it reported that the Sabre's owners are among those who don't want to be spending as much on a hockey team right now. Why would they not be one of the ones not wanting to keep costs down towards the cap floor?

Beyond that, we've seen a trend this season of backloaded contracts where teams are paying teams very little for the seasons they will be struggling. Why would this not be the norm for next season and teams continuing to sign players who can actually play in this manner rather than taking cap dumps for nothing like Okposo here?

Yes thats my point, thinking he will become a full time starter is a reach and Hutton is not an average backup, he is definitely velow average

Those reports were obviously wrong after signing Taylor Hall and all our RFAs. We have spent to 78 million and thats before knowing what our bonus overage penalty is.

Also, Kyle Okposo can actually play. He has reinvented himself in to a very good defensive forward. He just makes way too much money. So its much easier to trot him out in a bottom 6 role while you are paying him 2 million a year, rather than 6.

Pegula's were rumored to want an internal cap, then went out and bought the most expensive FA this year. Their are plenty of rumors, I think you can safely debunk them when the teams actions contrast those rumors directly. The Sabres cant spend to the cap due to cap penalties, thats their only limitation

I suppose we shall see.

You are going to want to avoid me should Ullmark take the logical step of becoming the unquestioned starter while keeping his save percentage numbers where they have been, much like the Jeff Skinner haters will want to run and hide when he reverts to his 30 goal form.

I dont even know how you started comparing him to Rittich in the first place. They arent comparable

That line of thinking would apply to all the teams wouldn't it? No teams have really been cutting back costs other than the ones who arnt going to be competitive anyway. Its the OP suggesting the situation will have changed again after this season, I'm just wondering why that situation will not have changed for the Pegula's who we have reason to believe arn't happy already.

I don't understand what you are trying to say. Teams like Arizona have teetered on bankruptcy in the past, teams that aren't going to be competitive will not want to go out and sign players to hit the cap floor when they aren't going to compete. They can get assets and pay players less than their cap hit in the year or 2 it will take for economics to improve etc.

I'm trying to say they can do these things without being payed less for a cap dump like Okposo and that its weird to think other teams will be in these dire financial situations but not the Sabres when its already been reported that their owners have wanted to spend less.

Your ideas for why it will cost less to move Okposo compared to the trouble teams have had moving bad contracts this offseason are bad ones.

How many times are you going to have to be told that these "reports" were obviously false. I mean we signed Taylor Hall.

Not all markets are the same, not all owners are the same.

I dont think that is necessary, i wpuld love to see Ullmark take that next step, if borders werent vlosed this year i would probably get season tickets. My point is you dont have a back up plan. You want someone eho will challenge Ullmark for that starting role, force him to keep getting better. Hutton doesnt do that, Hutton isnt a reliable backup.