There are many elements of the Buffalo Sabres that are intriguing at the moment. Can they keep up their recent hot streak? Will top stars Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin contribute meaningfully to Sabres wins? Could Buffalo dip into the trade market to build on what they have right now?
But the most intriguing element of the Sabres right now is their goaltending. Already this season, they’ve used three goalies – veterans Alex Lyon and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen – as well as 25-year-old rookie Colten Ellis.
And by the end of the season, they could have used more goalies than that, as they’ve got veteran Aleksandar Georgiev and youngster Devon Levi at the American League level. And we can see both of them wearing a Sabres jersey at some point this season.
Maybe it’s injuries that opens up an opportunity for Georgiev and Levi. Maybe it’s a trade of someone – Luukkonen, most likely – or perhaps there’s a performance issue with a goalie that necessitates a move from the farm team. And maybe someone goes on waivers and the log-jam situation in net is addressed that way.
By-and-large, the Sabres goalies have performed well. Lyon has had the bulk of the work, making seven appearances and posting terrific individual numbers including a .923 save percentage and 2.61 goals-against average. He’s delivered exactly what Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams wanted when he signed him this past summer – goaltending insurance, in essence.
Ellis, meanwhile, had a great game in his NHL debut, putting up a .935 SP and 2.00 G.A.A.. But Luukkonen did not play especially well in his first game of the season, posting a 3.90 G.A.A. and an .826 SP. You can see where Luukkonen’s critics are coming from, and if he doesn’t improve, there will be a score of netminders who can replace him.
The Sabres don’t need the amount of goalies they have right now. And it says here that they should be looking to trade at least one goalie to address their other roster needs. And while Levi has been “the goalie of the future”, that future may be delayed a whil long as the Sabres try juggling theirnetminders.
Double Dose Of Leafs Should Be Plenty Of Motivation For Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres kick off a two-games-in-two-nights showdown against the Toronto Maple Leafs, an Atlantic Division rival that, like the Sabres, has gotten out to a mediocre start to the 2025-26 season. Some would even say that the Maple Leafs are a vulnerable team right now — an assessment that puts pressure on Buffalo to not only get at least one win in the two games, but also salvage a standings point in the second game.
It’s going to be fascinating watching Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams move along with all these netminders in his employ. There are some whot think he should be dismssed, with a slew of boos welcoming him at the arena in Western New York, and there are some who think his blueprint for success needs more time and patience. But the more Adams’ goalies deliver for him, the longer his NHL stock heads into rebound territory, and the more job security he has.
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