Buffalo Sabres: Breaking down Eric Comrie’s strengths and weaknesses
The Buffalo Sabres desperately needed to add talent at goaltender for the 2022-23 NHL Season. And they did just that by signing Eric Comrie.
The Buffalo Sabres signed Eric Comrie on the first day of NHL Free Agency to a two-year, $3.6 million deal with an AAV of $1.8 million. And while Comrie had a great season in 2021-22, it is hard to look beyond the fact that he has a very small sample size, meaning he could be outstanding with more playing time or he could falter.
Today, we will touch on what Comrie does well, what he can improve upon, and whether he can become a decent stopgap in the net for the Buffalo Sabres. It is important to remember Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is still in the mix here, as is the 41-year-old Craig Anderson.
Who is new Buffalo Sabres goaltender Eric Comrie?
Comrie is a former second-round pick, having fallen to the Winnipeg Jets at 59th overall. He played sparingly at the NHL level between 2016-17 and 2020-21, and his early days with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose weren’t that good, posting a 0.9065 save percentage and a GAA of 3.04. Between the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons, Comrie finished just 32-51-9.
However, his statistics improved and over his next two seasons, Comrie posted a 0.9165 save percentage and a 43-33-5 record. He also had a GAA of just 2.62.
In 2019-20, his save percentage dipped with the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners to just 0.900, but he finished the season 4-0 and recorded a 2.75 GAA. Comrie returned to the Jets system and therefore, to the Moose, where he played in 16 games and finished 6-9.
However, his 0.918 save percentage and 2.51 GAA stood out. And he played another four games for the Moose in 2020-21, finishing 3-0-1 with a 0.947 save percentage and a 1.23 GAA.
Following his eventual successful stint in the AHL, Comrie moved into the NHL full-time in 2021-22. Here, he played in 19 games, finishing 10-5-1 with a 0.920 save percentage and a GAA of 2.58. But as mentioned, it is a small sample size. And the question remains whether Comrie can emulate last season’s successful run with the Buffalo Sabres.
Strengths
It should go without saying that most NHL players display a passion and necessary work ethic for the game, but Comrie takes it to another level. When you have the type of career he has had, including bouncing around between four different teams within an 18-month span, it will take a toll on any NHL player.
And Comrie is no different. Here is what he had to say:
“There’s been a lot of times where it was tough, when it was tough to continue doing it, but hockey’s something I truly love doing and I love the game of hockey. I love playing, I love practicing. I love being there with the guys, I love skating and love working out. It’s what I like to do. … That’s just what kept me going, kept me driving. – via Buffalo Hockey Beat.
Comrie also proved that, with stability as a high-end backup goaltender in the NHL, that he can play a steady game. His 10-5-1 record shows his cool hand, and his 2.58 GAA and 0.920 save percentage further solidify the fact that he is, at the absolute worst, a solid backup.
And speaking of those gaudy numbers despite the small sample size, Comrie ranked sixth in save percentage when you pit him against goaltenders who started 19 games last season. However, his even strength save percentage, 0.938, paced that group which included former Colorado Avalanche goaltender, Darcy Kuemper.
Comrie is also coachable, which may catapult him to the next level. He loved working with Connor Hellebuyck in Winnipeg, and he cannot wait to work with Anderson in Buffalo. Here is what Comrie had to say about Anderson:
“I’ve heard such amazing things about him and how great a human being he is, how a great person he is. Just how much knowledge he brings to the game and how much he understands and helps different players to grow their game and get better was a huge turning point for myself. So many people speak so highly of him.” – via The Buffalo News.
Comrie, since he had the unfortunate experience of bouncing around the league, may also come to the Buffalo Sabres with a rather large chip on his shoulder. He knows how well he can perform in the NHL given his numbers from last season. And the fact so many teams gave up on him is something that will light a fire in Comrie every time he steps onto the ice.
Weaknesses
Comrie, the 59th overall pick of the 2013 NHL Draft, drastically fell below expectations, given his 200-plus games in the AHL and minute NHL sample size. And even last season when he made it to the NHL, you need to wonder why the Jets continued to play Connor Hellebuyck for so many games over Comrie. Especially when the latter was posting good numbers.
However, you can make the argument that Hellebuyck is one of the league’s best goaltenders, winning the Vezina Trophy and First Team All-Star honors in 2019-20. He was also a Second Team All-Star in 2017-18, finishing second for the Vezina Trophy that year.
But it is also logical to wonder why no one seemed to want Comrie. Why did he bounce around so many teams and why did the Jets seemingly give up on him multiple times?
Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News noted that Comrie needed just 90 more minutes of playing time to become an RFA. Instead, the already-eliminated Jets decided not to try and allow Comrie to reach that threshold. While he played more often than Hellebuyck from April 15th to May 1st, the Jets clearly didn’t show enough urgency to place the RFA tag on him.
Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff stated the Jets could not afford Comrie’s impending arbitration award if he became an RFA. This implies the Jets would have let Comrie walk away as a UFA anyway. But you can always trade away an RFA once you retain their rights and the Jets let him go for nothing.
Projection
There are a few possible scenarios regarding not just Comrie, but all goaltenders in the Buffalo Sabres system. It is a given that both Comrie and Anderson will remain at the NHL level, and most sources have the system looking like this:
Buffalo Sabres
Eric Comrie – Craig Anderson
Rochester Americans
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen – Malcolm Subban – Michael Houser
However, I foresee the possibility that Luukkonen can put together a solid training camp and preseason, which could earn him a spot in the Sabres rotation. This would also force the Sabres to keep three goaltenders on the main roster, which is not an ideal situation by any means.
The only way I can see this occurring is if Luukkonen were to get ample playing time, roughly 25-30 games in the net compared to 40-45 from Comrie, with Anderson taking the remainder. If Luukkonen projects as the third goalie, then he will return to Rochester, leaving Comrie to take the majority of games in the net.
There is also the possibility Anderson starts over Comrie. But if this becomes the case, you can only wonder how long his body will hold. Anderson proved to be injury-prone in his advanced age last season. And despite his 17-12-2 record last season, he was also inconsistent.
So, what do I think will most likely occur? I’m going to take the unconventional route and project that three goaltenders will be on the roster, with just two dressing each night, of course. My belief is that Comrie will get the starting nod, with Luukkonen serving as the key backup and spot starter while Anderson plays the insurance/mentor role.
While this would prevent Luukkonen from getting reps as the starter in Rochester, I’m also one to wonder whether it is feasible for him to get those reps on a consistent basis considering the difference in performances in Rochester as opposed to how he played in Buffalo.
Related Story. Predicting the 2022-23 goaltender tandem and workload. light
That said, it might just be better for Luukkonen to make spot starts in the NHL while watching Comrie and taking mental notes on the potential starting goaltender’s play. We will see what happens when the puck drops on October 13th.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference and Hockey DB)
Article Sources:
Mike Harrington: To Eric Comrie, the Sabres’ net is the opportunity he’s waited to get his whole career by Mike Harrington
Sabres present special opportunity for goalie Eric Comrie: ‘I’m so thankful’ by Bill Hoppe