Alex Lyon is getting closer to a return, and the Buffalo Sabres goalie made it clear on Monday he’s not exactly content to wait around.
Lyon was back at practice as he works through the final stretch of recovery from an upper-body injury, and he sounded ready to jump right back into the crease.
"I'm just frothing at the mouth at this point to play some games," Lyon told Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News on Monday.
The 33-year-old Yale product said he is “close” to being cleared, but also acknowledged that the road back has required patience after a previous setback.
"I kind of had to his the pause button there and make sure things were good," Lyon said.
For Buffalo, that’s a significant development. The Sabres leaned on a three-goalie setup last season with Lyon, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Colten Ellis, and it paid off. The group combined for a .900 save percentage in 2025-26, which ranked third in the NHL.
This season has been a different story so far. With Luukkonen and Ellis handling things as a more conventional tandem, Buffalo has slipped to 28th in save percentage at .873, though the numbers have improved a bit lately.
Lyon was a major reason the Sabres stayed afloat early last season. He posted a .915 save percentage in his first 10 appearances while Luukkonen was sidelined, helping Buffalo hang around until its December surge. The Sabres eventually won the Atlantic Division and earned the franchise’s first playoff berth since 2011.
Over the full season, Lyon finished with a .907 save percentage in 36 games for Buffalo. He then added a .904 mark in 10 playoff games.
When he’s ready to go, Lyon is expected to share the bulk of the starts with UPL, while Ellis would settle into the backup role. That arrangement would also give the non-starter a full night off, just like Buffalo used effectively last season.
The Sabres are hoping a return to that three-goalie formula helps bring the crease back to last year’s level.
There was more injury news after Monday’s practice, too. Head coach Lindy Ruff updated a handful of players, with Zach Benson absent from the ice in what Ruff hopes is only “maintenance,” though the team expects more clarity after Benson skates Tuesday.
Konsta Helenius is now considered week-to-week with an upper-body injury.
Jiri Kulich has come out of concussion protocol and rejoined the top line, centering Tage Thompson and Peyton Krebs.
Conor Timmins and Justin Danforth were both back at practice as well. Timmins worked on the third defensive pair, while Danforth skated with the fourth line. Timmins, an important piece on the penalty kill, has not played this season because of a lower-body injury.
Buffalo would welcome the extra bodies, but Benson’s status looms as the biggest concern. Even a short absence would be a major blow to the Sabres’ depth.
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