The Buffalo Sabres’ rise this past season changed the conversation around plenty of players, and Colten Ellis is one of the clearest examples. After Buffalo finished first in the highly-competitive Atlantic Division, beat the Boston Bruins in the first round and then lost to the Montreal Canadiens in Round 2, the outlook on the roster turned much brighter - and that includes the third-string goalie who keeps climbing the organizational ladder.
Ellis may not have had a huge workload behind Alex Lyon and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, but he made enough of the chances he got to matter. Buffalo’s decision to trade Devon Levi only reinforced how far Ellis had moved ahead in the goaltending pecking order. He’s now being viewed as Buffalo’s goalie-of-the-future, and the early returns have been encouraging.
Position: Goaltender
Grade: B+
Ellis’ rookie NHL season was a strong one. He played in 16 games, went 8-4-2, posted a 2.90 GAA and a .903 save percentage, and added one shutout. Those numbers don’t scream elite, but they absolutely tell the story of a young goalie who held his own and earned more trust inside the organization.
The 25-year-old has also built a solid track record in the American League with the Springfield Thunderbirds, where he put together strong seasons in 2023-24 and 2024-25. The challenge now is opportunity. Luukkonen and Lyon are both under contract next season, so Ellis may have to wait for his chances unless injuries open the door.
There’s also contract pressure in the mix. Ellis is entering the final season of his current two-year deal, and Lyon is in the final year of his contract as well.
That gives Ellis plenty of incentive to keep pushing, and it could eventually force Buffalo into a bigger decision if he keeps performing and Lyons’ spot becomes vulnerable. In that scenario, Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen would have the option to trade Lyon or Luukkonen and turn the goalie rotation into a 50/50 split.
For now, though, the grade is based on what Ellis did last season, and the Sabres had enough to like even though he didn’t finish the 2025-26 campaign especially well. He showed enough strong stretches to stay in the picture, and that’s why Buffalo kept him around.
Ellis is trending toward being more than just a depth piece. If his development keeps moving in the same direction, he could become a meaningful part of a Sabres team with championship ambitions.
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Noah Ostlund and Konsta Helenius are the names to watch most closely as the competition tightens, because there is only so much room for both to keep climbing at once. If the Sabres decide one of their younger centers still needs more runway, Rochester is the likely next stop, which makes this a camp battle with real consequences for a player trying to turn promise into an NHL job. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Face A Goalie Dilemma They May Not Want To Solve
Buffalo has already done its homework on Connor Hellebuyck, and the answer came back with a familiar kind of hesitation: the price was steep enough that Jarmo Kekalainen passed. The Winnipeg netminder remains one of the leagues most recognizable goaltenders, and his public trade request has only added to the intrigue, but the Sabres are looking at this through the same hard-edged lens that usually shapes major decisions in the NHL. When a goalie comes with elite credentials and a heavy ask in return, the margin for error gets very thin.
The concern in Buffalo is not just what it would take to get Hellebuyck out of Winnipeg, but whether the move would actually solve enough to justify the cost. The Jets are said to want multiple players and draft picks, and some analysts have even wondered if the Sabres would be better served sticking with their current goaltending setup instead of making a blockbuster swing. For a team still trying to balance present urgency with long-term flexibility, that is the kind of dilemma that can linger well past the first offer. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Have Another Blue-Line Prospect Fans Need To Watch
Luke Osburn has already started to look like the kind of blue-line prospect that can make a front office feel a little better about its pipeline. The 19-year-old defenseman made an impact right away in his first season at the University of Wisconsin, showing the kind of two-way game that can separate a depth defender from a legitimate prospect, and his track record with Team USA has only added to the buzz around him.
There is still plenty of development ahead, as there always is with a young defenseman, but Osburn has given Sabres fans real reasons to pay attention. He has shown he can contribute at both ends of the ice, and after the way he handled the jump to college hockey, the next step in his progression should be one worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]