Paul Hamilton On A Potential Goalie Change and Bowen Byram Going Into Salary Arbitration

Paul Hamilton On A Potential Goalie Change and Bowen Byram Going Into Salary Arbitration

However, yesterday the new goalie spoke, Alex Lion. Paul Hamilton with us now to reflect uh here on the Wester hotline, Mike Schopen, the Bulldog. Paul, so what uh were your takeaways? Well, when he was investigating, he actually knows two goalenders that have played with the Sabres. Uh back way back when he first started with Lehigh Valley, he was with Dustin Tukarski and then with the Red Wings very recently, he was with James Rymer. So, he wanted to talk to both. And I remember James Rhymer last year really liked playing in Buffalo. He liked his teammates. He liked the team. Uh and you know he hasn’t signed he hasn’t officially retired but I kind of maybe get the impression that maybe he is retired since he was like you know trying telling Alex Lion if you want to go to Buffalo fine I’m not going because it doesn’t it doesn’t sound like he’s playing anymore. So and he he was very undecided uh you know at the end of the year. So, uh, both had glowing recommendations of Buffalo and and, uh, he said that was one of the biggest reasons why he went because he trusted both those guys, especially James Rhymer in their evaluation and the opportunity he might get here. And that opportunity should be backing up UPL, you think, Paul? I mean, I suppose there’s a scenario where Devin Levi comes in and is undeniable or something and they’ve got to make some maybe some tough decisions. I don’t know, maybe even risk exposing Lion to Waivers like they did with Rhymer last year at the beginning of the year and eventually lost him and then reclaimed him and got him back. Um, but I would expect that this guy looks like a good un understudy but also leader for young goalies, right? Yeah, absolutely. And he said early in his career he wasn’t that guy, you know, he was kind of against the other guy. He was in competition against him and he said that was the wrong way to be. and he said uh he’s complete opposite of that now. He said goalies have to support goalies. And he said whether you’re the starter, whether you’re the backup, whatever it is, you got to go out there and do your best. You got to compete with each other, but yet you have to support each other, too. And he said that just something he needed to learn along the way. And probably one of the reasons why uh as he talked about that, you know, he really didn’t get chances to play the last couple of years. I mean, his his his his uh season high was 15 games in the NHL, which was with Florida. Uh, and the only reason that was is because he got redot right at the end of the year. Remember, he was them right to the playoffs. Right. Yeah. Yeah. And he only played 15 games. That was a careerhigh. And then he played 44 the next year with Detroit and 30 last year with Detroit. Really the only two years that he’s gotten any substantial time in the NHL. And as he talked, it just seemed like it took him a while to kind of figure out the game, figure out what he needs to do, what are the best things for him to do, what’s the best way to be a good teammate and a good NHL goalender. And he he’s figured that out. And as far as I’m concerned, yeah, Lucin’s a starter. I probably would have him the starter, too, but you can’t wait. If it’s three weeks into the season and he’s still struggling, he’s got to be out. I mean, you got to put you got to go with Lion then. And that’s why you go with a guy with lion over maybe a James Rymer who’s 38 years old because I think you can put him in right away. But Lindy Ruff can’t be messing around and risks some sort of goofball losing streak right off the bat or in the first couple of months. If it isn’t going, it’s got to be changed immediately. What’s your theory on Lucin? Is it beyond randomness to explain what happened to him last year? I mean 887 is not great. No, it wasn’t. especially where the last 35 games of the year before his numbers were either at the top or right at the top of the NHL and he was has played the second most games after January 1st and it looked like the Sabres had found their number one goalender. He played like a number one goalender and the numbers back that up. He did at times last year but not enough. No, I mean you didn’t get the big save at the big time. Uh the numbers, you know, tell us the story that I mean the eye test and the numbers say the same thing. It wasn’t great. Sometimes it was, but sometimes isn’t good enough. You know, if you’re going to be a number one goalender, you got to be good most of the time and have the odd game off, not the odd game good and the rest of them are like, you know, type of a thing. So, he, you know, he’s got to be able to, you know, he’s home with his goalending coach. Uh, and one thing I will tell you is he works hard and he works hard at his craft. So, he’s working at it. I can guarantee that. And whether it translates back into what we saw not last year, but the year before, well, only time’s going to tell us. Yeah, it’s so crazy, Paul, that so much changed. And I’d love to know really from his perspective and maybe even their their goalending staff like what they see in front of him like what was different because when he broke through and earned that contract extension season before last we talked all the time here I remember with you about how under control he was like he must be stronger because he’s getting places quicker but under control. And there’s a lot that goes into that. There’s athleticism and training and strength and like all that physical, but there’s also you got to be that’s got to be in sync with what you’re seeing on the ice too, right? Like reading the play, anticipating where it’s going that that goalender supercomput. And you know, there’s too much noise in the way, interference, then the computer’s going to glitch and you’re going to be late getting to a place. So, you’re going to have to slide faster than you want to, which means you’re going to be out of control and then everything just starts toppling. right now. Recovery is harder to get back for a rebound or to the other side if you need to cuz the play went behind the net and around and whatever. And there were so many times last year, I’m not even thinking of goals, but just plays in games where I’d be like, “Oh, no. Oh, dude.” Like, what? What? No. And some were goals. Yeah, sure. Plenty plenty, unfortunately. But I just wonder what if if there was something physical that happened with him or if he just wasn’t, you know, locked in for him like it needs to be from a vision standpoint and if there’s noise that the Sabres can do a better job of trying to control or minimize in front of him. Bulldog, you must have been listening uh when I uh was on with your son because I asked him some of these questions. He said a lot of what you were just saying when we were on together. Well, we do share a roof. Uh, you know, but it’s true. I mean, obviously, uh, yeah, I watch a lot of games with him. We talked about Lukan in almost every night we were watching a game if he was playing. Like, what is h what’s going on there? So, yeah, there’s And your son’s now a coach of goalenders. So, I mean, he knows what he’s talking about. He’s been doing it for quite a long period of time. So, uh, just exactly what you’re saying. And that was the thing, especially as the season got later, it’s like there he was flying by the net again. It’s like, I thought you got rid of that. Yeah. You know, I thought you were past that where, you know, all of a sudden you’re you overplay it and you’re you’re totally past the net by when the play happens. Um, and it’s it’s something he worked on and got better at, but it’s he slid back into it again. So, again, that’s something I’m sure that he’s working on right now this summer. I wonder how much teams sort of altered some found something, right? Because seems like they’re studying everybody, right? They’re studying these goalies and I wonder if there was some something different about the way like they found a thing that they could exploit and once the Sabres realized it and Lucin realized it, you’re trying to adjust on the fly. And again, the whole thing is it’s very it’s very intricate. So, it doesn’t take a lot to disrupt it. And I just would love to know like how those counteractions are are taking place and shaping up if indeed I’m right. I mean, I’m just speculating here from what I what I saw, you know, largely on TV, you know, and I’m sure his goalending coach in Finland has saw it, too. And that’s one of the things, you know, they’re working on. And uh you know and it’s going to be very interesting cuz you know as as I said the whole off season they can’t I know they say they can and they’re confident in it but I just didn’t you can’t go into the season with Lucan and Levi. You just can’t. Uh it’s it’s too much hope and you can’t go into the season with hope and they didn’t. They went and signed Lion. I think it’s a good signing because you can turn to him if Lukinan’s not ready. You’ve got, you know, Levi down in Rochester doing his thing and uh, you know, I I I I like the setup now that with what they got. I’ll echo what you said earlier about not waiting around for Lucin to find his form next year. That that could have, you know, been a problem this past season when he doesn’t start great. It wasn’t that Rhymer was always good, but, you know, they ended up waving him and sort of playing games with him. And then late in the season, Rhymer ended up starting a lot because he was just he was rolling there. So everything’s easier in with hindsight. But but but do you remember what they did? And I hated it. Lucin to me earned the number one spot and they started alternating with Lucin and Levi. Why? Because they want Levi to be their goalender. So now they start alternating games. And if I’m Lukan and I’m like, what are we doing here? You know, did you did you look at my numbers of the last 35 games last year? Why are we alternating? You know, and and you know, I don’t know if that was the problem with the way they started. I don’t know how he felt about it because he did never really wanted to talk about it. And it’s just like, I’ll play whenever Lindy Ruff tells me it’s time to play. But the this this obsession that Kevin Adams has to make Levi his goalender, he’s done it twice now and failed both times. And I’m not saying it’s going to fail all the time. He eventually might be a very good goalender in the NHL. I don’t know, but he certainly wasn’t ready the two times he was handed the job. Paul Hamilton on the Wester hotline with us here for just a few more minutes. Um, in other news, Paul Bowen Byum is still on the Sabres and the team elected arbitration. We’ve not talked to you since before the Fourth of July holiday and that happened over the holiday weekend uh after Byum turned down the opportunity to file for arbitration. The Sabres did. So, um, I think we fans probably have some idea what that means. It’s been said a lot and written a lot. he’s no longer uh available for an offer sheet. Um I’m curious if you think the Sabres I don’t know did they they they talked about saving the money in case of an offer sheet but they to an extent ended up well largely entirely controlling whether he could get an offer sheet by taking this action. So, I’m sort of wondering why save the money. But, nonetheless, well, they’re not Creskin. I mean, they didn’t know that there wasn’t going to I mean, they were prepared for an offer sheet and there were people who thought that they the Sabres were going to get one and it didn’t it didn’t. So, they were ready for it, in other words. So, you know, we’ll see how this boils out. I mean, I have no opinion on it right now. I mean, I think they did a good I mean, no opinion on the whole thing. I think they did what they should have done by taking him to arbitration. It took our it or took taking you know it took offer sheets off the table and now even when you’re making a trade you will have you know a financial idea now of what you’re up against. You know if you’re going to trade for Boram is it going to be a one-year contract? What’s the amount? Is it going to be a two-year contract? What’s the amount? Um you know and that’s his decision now. he he and his agent can decide if it’s going to be one or two years, but at least you’ll have financial certainty with what you’re dealing with, whether it’s a trade market. And you know, I know a lot of people are already with the wise cracks, you know, well, what 13 million. Well, let’s find out what, you know, if he signs, he’s going to take part of that 13 million. I, you know, maybe six million of it, right? You know, whatever. or if he’s traded. Well, theoretically, you’re going to get one or two players back who are going to take part of that, you know. So, let’s see what it is. I I doubt it’s going to remain 13 million, right? That means you traded him for draft picks. If it remains 13 million and then Yeah, that’s that’s crazy. They still have Timmons and Levi to sign, too, right? Yeah. And Timmans couple million maybe. And Levi’s contract, you know, as far as it goes against the salary cap will be in Rochester, unless it’s a one-way deal. Um, and one-way deals actually doesn’t go with, you know, part of it would depending how much it is. And, uh, one-way deal just means he gets paid NHL salary if he’s in Rochester. So, um, yeah, it’s so I’m kind of reserving judgment. Sure. Yeah. How this mess is going to end up. It’s there’s so many ways it can end up that it’s just like, okay, let’s find out how it how they do this and let’s see what the final result is, then let’s figure out if it was a huge mistake or not. But as far as taking him to arbitration, I think that was the right thing to do. It it took the it took the offer sheet off the table and now, you know, he may wind up playing here another year or two. I I don’t see the harm in that actually, unless you wind up getting him for nothing. Now, you can if he elects a two-year contract, you can elect to negotiate after the first year like we are with Tuck right now. Mhm. Or you could trade him and the other team could elect to negotiate, you know, that that last year to a long-term contract. So, it’s not like he if he elects two years, he’s going into free agency unrestricted. There are ways you can stop that if if he agrees to terms. So, um, or trade him, uh, and is at the trade deadline and get something for him if somebody wants him as a rental, right? And you can still trade him now, of course. And a team just like the Sabres can can sign him to an 8-year contract extension if they want before this arbitration hearing. There’s room to do that. Well, the Sabres would have to do that. I think it’s a sevenyear Oh, because his P Yeah, the acquiring team doesn’t have They can do that. The Sabres could could actually make the contract trade. Yeah. Right. Right. This arbitration is the worst, isn’t it? Like that’s where the Sabres will stand up and say all the things about Byum that they don’t like to try to after they’ve sat here for how long and and I don’t think they’re lying. I think they love Bo Byum as a player. I I don’t think they’re lying with that. But then you got to go to arbitration and say you don’t love him as a player, right? I mean, so yeah, Mike, you’re exactly right that and there are sometimes hard feelings. You know, players sometimes leave the arbitration with hard feelings and the it’s almost, you know, like politics, you know, the way politicians talk, you know. I don’t want to say a name and have it be wrong, but there’s a there’s a former Saber I can remember there being a story maybe years later. This player admitted like, you know, I I didn’t the arbitration thing. I would I would like to avo I wish I could have avoided it. Dumont it just hurt me. There were a couple of them actually and I don’t remember the names of but there’s more than one bulldog. Well Dumont they turned their back on his award and he went and left as a free agent but that’s not who that that hurt they turned their back on but I I can’t remember who it was. And Darcy told Tim Kenny’s agent if if you get more than a million we’re walking away. Yeah. This wasn’t so much a scenario where they walked away from the award. It was just the process of the hearing, hearing the the the people in charge tear the player apart, but it affected the player. Like it it left a mark, you know? Like I it would have been better for me not to sit in a room with my bosses hearing how much I suck. That is familiar to me, too. But I don’t remember who. Yeah. I don’t want to say a name. I don’t want to guess. Yeah. Hodson. Did he go to arbitration? That’s the name I was thinking of. Maybe a name. Maybe it was him. We’re both thinking him. I don’t know. All right, Paul, would you like to see the Bills uh return to red helmets? No, you’re I like the white ones better. All right. Um I just have always just like the white ones better. I wouldn’t mind seeing that blue one that Josh Al not on a regular basis, but for a game or something, one he wore at the practice a couple years ago. He’s rolled that out. I think that’s kind of sharp looking, but not not his full time, you know, just as a you know, whatever whatever uniform they might want to wear that with once. But uh no, I I would uh I like the white helmets better than I like the red helmets. I never really cared for the red helmets, just like I never cared for the blue pants and white jerseys. If it’s blue pants and blue jersey, I’m fine. But the blue pants and white jersey, I think, is one of the worst uniforms in the NFL. I think it looks awful. I don’t I don’t mind. And I hate the all blue. I do too. Yeah. I I favorite would be the all white. Yeah. Same here. Same here. But I would take the all blue over the white top and blue pants. I’m not like a huge fan of the all blue, but I would take it over the white white jersey. I’m okay if they go to to a the red helmet again. But I would admit that the thing that soured me a little on it is how they changed the striping on it during that the blood that Bledsoe era when that when the uniform change came. They kept red helmets but they worked that like sort of yucky blue into the center stripe and I just never liked that at all. What was the deal with Joe Ferguson when they originally changed? Was it there was too many white helmet and he couldn’t The whole division was white helmet except the Jets. Yeah. who they’ve had white helmets at times, too, but the Dolphins, Colts, and Patriots all had white. That’s I wanted to make sure I was right on that. That it was just too many white helmets running around the field. Too many white helmets. Imagine if a guy said that now. I mean, I don’t know if Ferguson like was went public with that. It’s always the story I heard. That’s the legend, right? The Oh, he was asked about it. Yeah. I mean, it he was definitely asked. I don’t remember what he said, but that is why the Bills did it. Um, I just wanted to make sure I was right on that before I said that as fact. But that that’s why they did it. Like what if Tua would say that now? Hey, we need different helmets. I can’t I’m struggling with the white helmets and all these division games. I’d like to see that. It would just go over so badly, you know. All right. Thank you, Paul. Take care, guys. All right, that’s our Paul Hamilton on the Western Hotline. His appearance.

Mike Schopp and The Bulldog talk to Buffalo Sabres Reporter Paul Hamilton On A Potential Goalie Change and Bowen Byram Going into Arbitration #sabres #sabrehood

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