Blue & Gold Talk - Possible UPL Dilemma 

I'd give him four for $3.5 million. Three for $4.5. Can't give him 6$ million.

Totally agree Wayne. 2 years at $4mil per or 3 years at $3.5mil per (possibly $4mil per to close the deal if needed).

I thought upl was awsome last year! They need to find a way to figure it out.

When you were looking up Gilbert, after the 2nd expletive-censoring-angry-face-emote-no-signal screen the video went immediately to commercial, hammering home the punchline lol.

I'm a union man myself but it seems to me that the NHL has become too much of a "make the players happy" league. In my view it's gone too far the other way. Greedy agents pushing the players for more millions, no movement contracts, too many no trade to certain franchise's in players contracts. The fans and ticket prices are never mentioned in the equation in the slimy struggle between the NHL and the NHLPA. Meanwhile... the rest of us fans are fortunate to make $55K a year if that. I blame the NHL and the owners. It's their league and they helped create these arrangements.

Love watching your videos, keep up the good work and take care!

I pay UPL. He’s a bird in hand of an NHL goalie who looks like a decent number one goalie at his floor. I’m happy at 4x4.5m Also, Swayman went through arbitration and seems prepped to sign with Boston. It doesn’t ruin the relationship, sometimes it’s the cost of doing business. I do agree they will avoid arbitration

Do you know UPL is asking for 6mil? I never heard numbers, but I agree this is going sideways fast. After this if the relationship diminishes, this will be the turning point. Swayman went to arbitration for Boston so perhaps they can rekindle the relationship. If they do pay UPL a big payday, we then have become the Leafs 2.0. I see Helenius was signed to his ELC today.

McLeod was a point per game in the AHL, he can score, he makes Krebs look like a junior player. That speed, not sure why Sabres fans don’t want a guy who had 27 hits in 24 playoff games, most Sabres players didn’t have 27 hits in a full 82 game regular season. Mittelfat had 11 hits lol…McLeod is ready to take a next step, look at many players who nothing until year 4-5, players who get traded and new coach has confidence in them get sparked.

$5 million for Jason Zucker?? 32 points in 69 games last year. He's going to be 33. His last good season was 2022/23 in Pittsburgh 27 G 48 Points. Two bad seasons before that. Shouldn't this guy have signed for $3 million? Sixty four points was his career high. He's never been over 50 points again. Scored 20 goals or more six times in 13 seasons and that's probably over for him.

anything over 5 mill/year and anything longer than 5 years would be a mistake, if levi is set to come in the league and reaches the high expectations alot of fans have set for him, we are going to have to pay levi even bigger money, we can't have two goalies making over 5 mil a year(granted that probably won't be happening for another 3-5 years) but still, you need to always make sure you have room to work with and you are not spending too much money in one spot of the lineup

Goalies are wildly inconsistent great last year does not mean anything for this year.

I saw the Reimer signing and had the immediate thoughts that something was wrong with the UPL negotiations.

He can't be getting no more than Oettinger, wich is $4mil. No way in hell.

UPL finished the season as one of the top goalies in the league and top 10 for the year. If he plays a full season like that next year, he's an all-star, and yes he's going to get paid.

sign UPL to a 3 year deal. if levi passes him by the time the deal is done, then trade UPL.

Id push UPL up to 3 years 4 million per year. Anything higher is a risk. I hope he isnt looking for 5m or higher. Totally agree avoid arbitration!

UPL is paying us back. For all the Levi praises, hype and starting the year in the crease vs him. He's looking at all business now.

I’m all for paying what people are worth. While UPL was much improved last season I’d need to see it done consistently. I agree with others, 3 years max, 3.5 mil per. Can’t allow a player that’s not proven anything more than 1 season to dictate terms. It sets a bad precedent for the team. The agents of the next man up will expect to eat too.

UPL had a decent half season, Can hekeep it going? He should be reasonable in the contract talks and not shoot for the stars! Sabre's know this and it will get taken care of.

When it comes to UPL I watched him closely since beginning and really liked a lot of aspects of his game. I am not going to say that I saw him right from the start as no 1 goalie in their system but I have a feeling he got pushed aside a lot in a favor of both Comrie and Levi without even having a chance to prove himself earlier on - especially the first year. I just think that even Adams and his team didn't really expect that he will take off in that last season and UPL earned his position the hard way when not many people even within the organization didn't really believe in him - therefore why he should feel any loyalty towards Adams and his staff that almost wrote him off at one point? In the end of the day it's a business and I am pretty sure Sabres see it the same way.

What do you think about the news the Sabres are one of the teams showing interest in Trouba? We have a great D lineup, but DO have an issue with pairings and a lack of R shots.. What would we be giving up for that? What would be worth it and what would be too much? Very mixed feelings on the idea. I would not be surprised if Buffalo is on his No trade list, but then again, if he wants to stay in NY state or not move that far, it's possible. He's also Captain material and as it stands I don't know that we have an obvious Captain choice (Tuch?). Would love to hear your thoughts. (Sorry for double comment)

I'd half expect UPL to go for the best deal he can get. He's trying to make himself indispensable for Buffalo knowing Levi might be ready in the next couple of seasons. Good goalies are valuable and today's nhlers expect to get paid. I expect he'll sign a compromise deal that will settle him down.

I'm wondering if the relationship is already strained between UPL & the Sabres. Hopefully UPL is signed soon, I don't want to see them go to arbitration.

Dont pay him 6 mil, not worth more than 4.5..

Wayne, please see a Physical therapist and do ASTYM. It is no drugs and it works!

UPL's has been being groomed in the organization, seemingly forever. Now they're going to play hardball with him just when he's rounding into something? Bit of a headscratcher there.

UPL should get 4 years 5 million per season. But I’m a Levi fan so I kind of hope it doesn’t happen.

I agree.. UPL has had 1 good year.. not great, not an all-star.. just a solid year.. 1 and only 1. Worse for UPL.. Who doesn't think in the next 2 years that Levi won't push this guy out ? Unless Levi falters.. his AHL numbers last year I believe were better and any of UPL's AHL or ECHL numbers.. his drumbeat should be making UPL nervous.. because If Devon has been healthy early.. UPL could have been bench warming most of the year. But Levi got hurt early, and when he was ready.. UPL had finally grabbed the mantle and took over. Levi played in the AHL because he could. .. and reps get him better... he's already way ahead of UPL.

UPL only had one good year after 3 bad or marginal years….long list of goalies with single good year….look at Comrie’s last year in Winn….better than UPL last year..

4.50 x 3 seems fair and there are comparables to support it. If this goes to arbitration then it’s another failed relationship and a player that will probably go on to flourish. Ulmark anyone?!?

You'd hand Levi a long-term deal today despite him not doing anything or earning anything. You've proclaimed Levi as the franchise goalie already. Look UPL knows he's gone the very second he hits UFA status. He has absolutely no plans to deal with this nonsense playing second fiddle to Levi and a GM who absolutely doesn't believe in him. How Adams and Granato treated him going into last season was an absolute joke. This is the same type of situation that this organization created with Ullmark. So you'd better pray Levi is the messiah because he's all you'll have here in 2 years max.

toronto lol, they have the potential best american and future best overall goal scorer in his prime and still get dumped on in the playoffs, nothing those losers say can be taken serious, i can't wait until matthews leaves that poverty organization so they can go back where they belong, as the doormat of the league

Toronto has never won 3 rounds in a single playoffs in the history of their franchise. The most amount of rounds they’ve ever won is 2. So they’re not really in a position to judge the Sabres.

I think he wants term, I remember seeing an interview with him talking about how the other core players were getting long deals and he wanted that.

We are ok, no teams filed for arbitration

Pay Upl he's not done getting better he's got 1 full year under him ,the guy only gets better

I would rather give UPL 8.3 million and give Flower Power the 3-year 10 million deal.

Guy has half a good season and thinks he's the Dominator lol but for me he gets 2 or 3 years at most then we talk long term

I gotta say I'm awfully confused by what buffalo has done over the last few years. I felt two years ago they were perhaps a good veteran goalie and a veteran defenseman away from being a playoff team. They have never filled the goaltending spot properly instead relying on Eric Comrie and dumping the starting job on Ukko Pekka Luukkonen and then Devon Levi last year. Both youngsters when they had the starting job dumped on them crumpled. The defense has gradually improved as the youngsters age and the offense that was so good two years ago collapsed last year. The Sabres have to sign Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. He won the starting job last year. You have to sign him. James Reimer at age 35 managed an average save percentage while playing in 25 games. He's an upgrade on Comrie but not a huge one. I think they still need another veteran in the mix in case of injury or relapse. Sign Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and start him. Use Reimer and the new veteran back up to flesh things out. Let Levi win his job in Buffalo and if can win the back up or even tandem or starting role, but only if he plays well enough to earn it. No pressure but rewarded for good play. Each time these guys were handed the starting role they failed. Make them earn it, like Luukkonen did last year. You can't pay him six but 4.5 yes. Savoie deal is a mistake. The defense is improving as the youngsters improve. Dahlin 23, Power 21, Samuelsson 23, Byram 22, Clifton 28 and Jokiharju 24 are all improving which will help the goalies. The Offense imploded last year. They gave up Girgensons and Jeff Skinner. They gave Okposo the chance to win a cup. An offense that was 23rd in the league last year has Thompson, Tuch, and Cozens who you can rely on. They moved out Casey Mittelstadt. The Jason Zucker addition was ridiculous. Might as well have set $5 million on fire. They have some defensively responsible players like Jordan Greenway, new checking center Ryan McLeod, and checking winger Sam Lafferty into the mix. They have to be hoping Jiri Kulich, J.J. Peterka, Zach Benson, Jack Quinn, the unsigned Peyton Krebs and or Isak Rosen all hit. Trading Matt Savoies offensive potential for a checking center like McLeod , especially on a team that was relatively good at suppressing shots against and which struggled to score, seems strange. The Sabres have $14 million to spend and need to sign their starting goalie. If they miss this you have to believe Levi and Reimer on their own melt even if they add another veteran back-up. Two years ago Buffalo felt like they were a move or two away. Now they need to rebuild a second line to be as good offensively as they were last year. Sign your starting goalie. You trade him, you have to add two other goalies. Try not to be penny wise.

To be fair, the whole NHL is laughing at the Sabres for the McLeod trade. It was a horrible trade. We could have the 7th best roster in the Atlantic division, even though we're in ""win now mode". Interesting take on UPL and the possible fractured relationship. that sucks. Doesn't look good if we give Zucker 5 million a year, but we play hardball with UPL, who was our MVP last year.

No way in hell UPL accepts 2 or 3 years at 3.5 4 million per. He wants long term at 7+ million per year. BYE BYE UPL. We signed Reimer to backup LEVI.