Several teams are already staring at major questions in goal early in the 2026-27 season, and if Buffalo Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen starts shopping either Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen or Alex Lyon, there should be no shortage of interest.
The Sabres have been tied to Connor Hellebuyck since the NHL Draft in June, and the buzz has never really gone away. Elliotte Friedman even said Friday that Buffalo is still a possible landing spot for the former Vezina Trophy winner, who has not reported to the Winnipeg Jets yet.
If the Sabres land Hellebuyck, the ripple effect would be immediate. Buffalo currently has three goalies on the roster - Luukkonen, Lyon and Colten Ellis - and bringing in a star of that caliber would almost certainly mean moving two of them.
Luukkonen and Lyon are the most likely names to go, which would leave Ellis positioned as the long-term backup.
That kind of reshuffling is easier said than done. Luukkonen carries a five-team no-trade clause that started on July 1, and it is not known which clubs are on that list. Lyon, meanwhile, has not yet made his season debut because of a shoulder injury, so any team looking at him would want to be sure he is fully healthy and ready to go.
Still, if you’re one of the teams with a problem in net, Buffalo should be the first stop.
The New York Rangers are one of them. On Saturday, they announced Igor Shesterkin will miss the rest of the season because of an injury, and backup Joonas Korpisalo is also sidelined for about a month. That leaves the Rangers in a rough spot, even if the hope is that Shesterkin’s injury does not carry into next season and he can return to being the kind of starter who anchors the position.
For New York, Lyon may make the most sense. His contract expires after this season, which fits a team trying to patch things together right now.
Luukkonen, with two more years left after this season, looks more like a bigger commitment. A Lyon-Korpisalo pairing would not replace Shesterkin, but it could at least give the Rangers above-average play the rest of the way.
The New Jersey Devils are in a similar bind, just for different reasons. Jake Allen and Nico Daws have both struggled to open the season.
Allen is 1-1 with a 3.47 goals against average, while Daws has one start and gave up six goals in that game. The Devils had hoped Allen could serve as a bridge until Daws was ready, but that plan may not hold much longer.
Buffalo gives them options. Lyon could work as a short-term bridge while the Devils reassess. If they decide Daws is not going to grow into a starter, then Luukkonen becomes the more appealing choice as a longer-term answer in net.
The Los Angeles Kings are in a different place, but the same logic applies. They have made the playoffs five straight seasons and gone out in the first round every time. They are also not exactly built for a teardown, given the long-term contracts already on the books, so improving on the fly feels like the path they have to chase.
Goaltending is one area that could use an upgrade. Darcy Kuemper and Anton Forsberg are both in the final year of their contracts, and neither projects as a long-term solution.
Kuemper is 36, Forsberg is 33, and that makes Luukkonen the cleanest fit. He is only 27, has nearly 200 games under his belt, brings playoff experience, and still has two more years left on his deal after this season.
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After getting blanked 4-0 by Dallas, Buffalo heads into its meeting with Utah looking for a cleaner response and a little more push from the players who can set the tone quickly. Colten Ellis, Josh Doan and Konsta Helenius all sit in the spotlight for different reasons, and the Sabres could use something steadier in goal, a sharper edge at forward and more from a rookie trying to carve out a larger role.
Ellis is in line for the start as the team waits on Alex Lyons shoulder injury to heal, which only adds to the pressure on Buffalos goaltending picture. Doans night has an extra layer too, since he is facing the club that brought him in during the 2025 offseason, while Helenius is trying to turn promise into more consistent impact as the Sabres look to shake off one of their roughest outings of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Lindy Ruff Sends A Clear Message With Sabres Lineup Shakeup
The Sabres are making a noticeable change in net for their upcoming matchup with the Utah Mammoth, turning to Colten Ellis instead of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Ellis earned the look after helping Buffalo to a recent victory, while Luukkonen has been in a rough stretch in his starts, giving Lindy Ruff a reason to try a different voice and a different feel at the position.
Ruff is not stopping there. Buffalo also plans to add Tyson Kozak and Sam Carrick into the lineup in an effort to inject some energy and tighten the group ahead of another important game. It reads like a clear message from the coach: the Sabres want more pace, more push and a sharper edge from the players stepping in. [Read more 🡒]