It’s not every day an NHL team makes peace with carrying three goalies, but Buffalo did it last season and, for stretches, it was more necessity than luxury. Injuries kept Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon, and Colten Ellis moving in and out of the lineup, and when all three were available, the Sabres were stuck with a roster decision that didn’t leave much wiggle room. Ellis would have to clear waivers, so Buffalo kept all three in the fold.
Lyon recently talked with The Hockey News about why the setup managed to function as well as it did.
"Having three goalies isn't the easiest thing in the world all the time, but we all were very competitive, very supportive at the same time. It's a very fine balance to strike, and I'm going to include Mike Bales, a great goalie coach.
So when you have that kind of dynamic, it really works. We had a very healthy way about us this year.
When you experience success, it breeds itself."
That balance is likely to come up again for Buffalo in 2026-27. The Sabres were linked to trade chatter involving Winnipeg Jets star Connor Hellebuyck, but no deal came together. A move could still happen later, but for now, the same three names are back on the roster.
And after last season, Buffalo can point to real results. Even with all the moving parts in net, the Sabres finished third in save percentage, faced the eighth most shots, and posted the 10th best goals against average.
Still, the postseason told a different story. Buffalo’s interest in Hellebuyck was tied in part to the fact that the team didn’t get the goaltending it needed in the playoffs, with Luukkonen and Lyon among the reasons the Sabres couldn’t get past the second round.
For now, Luukkonen should enter camp as the starter, while Ellis is expected to get every chance to win the backup job. However it sorts out at the start of the season, all three goalies are expected to be part of the picture at different points.
In Other News...
Former Sabres Standout Jay McKee Just Reached A Meaningful Next Step
Jay McKees post-playing career has been building toward this kind of opportunity for years. The former Sabres defenseman, who spent more than a decade working in junior hockey, was named head coach of the Hamilton Hammers in May, giving him the next rung on the ladder after establishing himself as a longtime Ontario Hockey League coach.
McKees path included winning an OHL championship with the Brantford Bulldogs and sharpening his teaching style across a long junior run before moving into professional coaching. He has also pointed to his time in the OHL and the influence of former coach Lindy Ruff as important parts of his development, a background that now comes with the chance to lead the New York Islanders new AHL affiliate. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Prospect Is Giving Buffalo Another Intriguing Forward To Watch
Ryan Rucinski has become another name worth tracking in the Sabres pipeline, a versatile young forward who arrived on Buffalos draft board after a strong run in the USHL with the Youngstown Phantoms. The 19-year-old center from Broadview Heights, Ohio, is headed to Ohio State this fall, but his work in junior hockey already gave Buffalo a reason to take a closer look at his scoring touch and all-around game.
For the Sabres, the appeal is obvious: Rucinski brings a blend of offensive skill and positional flexibility that can make a prospect stand out in a crowded system. His USHL success helped put him on the map before the draft, and now Buffalo will get a longer view of how that game translates at the college level, where another step forward could turn him from an intriguing name into a much more serious one to follow. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Fans Still Have Reason To Debate The Alex Tuch Decision
At the trade deadline, the Sabres decided Alex Tuch was worth keeping around for a push, and for a while it looked like the bet made sense. Buffalo went on to win the Atlantic Division and captured its first playoff series in 14 years, giving the front office real evidence that holding onto one of its key pieces had helped fuel a season worth remembering.
Now the lingering question is whether the bigger prize might have been available elsewhere. Tuchs playoff impact was modest, and his eventual move to the Washington Capitals on an eight-year sign-and-trade deal brought Buffalo only limited return, leaving plenty of room for second-guessing about whether an earlier deal would have produced a stronger haul. For a franchise trying to balance a real run with long-term asset management, it is exactly the kind of decision that will keep coming back up. [Read more 🡒]