The Buffalo Sabres were already staring at some uncertainty in goal, and the injuries to Alex Lyon and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen have only made the picture messier. If Lyon is sidelined for a significant stretch, Buffalo may have to take another hard look at the goalie market - and that puts Connor Hellebuyck right back into the conversation.
That’s not a brand-new idea for the Sabres. Buffalo and the Winnipeg Jets already discussed a Hellebuyck trade before the 2026 NHL Draft, but they couldn’t get a deal over the line. The problem now is that the draft pick involved in those talks is gone, which means the Sabres would need to build a different package if they wanted to reopen those negotiations with Winnipeg.
Roster math would be another obstacle. A Hellebuyck deal probably doesn’t happen unless Buffalo moves one or both of Luukkonen and Lyon. In practical terms, that means the Sabres would need to create a landing spot for at least Luukkonen before they could bring in Hellebuyck, and that makes the whole thing even more complicated.
Still, the fit is easy to understand. Buffalo already showed it was willing to discuss a major move for him before the draft, so the interest is real. Now the injuries to Luukkonen and Lyon could give the Sabres another reason to revisit it, especially if both are week-to-week and the team isn’t comfortable with what it has available.
There are two big hurdles. First, Buffalo would need to line up a trade for Luukkonen once he’s healthy.
Second, and much larger, landing Hellebuyck would still require a major deal. The Sabres can’t simply go back to Winnipeg with the same offer they had before the draft, because that pick is no longer in play.
If they truly want Hellebuyck, they’d need to add another asset or two to make the package attractive enough for the Jets.
There’s also a real difference between patching a short-term hole and making a blockbuster move for a starter. If Lyon and Luukkonen are only out briefly, Buffalo probably isn’t going to pay a huge price for another goalie. The Sabres can ride out the injury stretch and move on once they’re healthy.
If the absence turns into something longer, though, the conversation changes. That’s when Buffalo has to decide whether it’s ready to pull off a major trade, and that’s where those earlier talks about Hellebuyck could suddenly matter again. The Sabres have been trying to take the next step with their young core, and the timing of these injuries makes the goaltending situation worth watching closely.
It still doesn’t mean a trade is on the way. But Buffalo has already been in the room with Winnipeg on Hellebuyck, and with him suspended by the Jets organization, a deal could happen sooner rather than later.
In Other News...
Sabres May Face A Bigger Marchenko Question Than Fans Realize
The chatter around Kirill Marchenko has started to sound like more than a passing rumor, and it lands in a spot the Sabres cant ignore. Several Atlantic Division rivals have shown interest in the Columbus Blue Jackets winger, which naturally puts Buffalo on alert as it continues building around a young forward group and evaluating whether its internal development plan is ready to carry more of the load.
Columbus, for its part, is not acting like a team under pressure to move him right away, and the asking framework matters as much as the name itself. If the Blue Jackets decide to listen, they appear to want immediate help rather than a package built around future pieces, which is the kind of price tag that can separate the serious suitors from the curious ones and leave Buffalo weighing how much urgency it should attach to a player it may not have considered a must-have yet. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Top Defense Prospect Already Knows What Must Change
Daxon Rudolph arrived in the Sabres system as part of a draft haul that came after Buffalo landed a top-five pick, and the organization is already looking at him as a future piece on a blueline that has some established NHL contracts in place. For now, though, the young defenseman is staying in college, with the University of Denver set to be his next stop while Buffalo keeps tabs on his development from afar.
That gives the Sabres time to watch the most important part of his growth take shape. Rudolph already knows the areas that have to sharpen if he is going to fit into Buffalos long-term defense picture, and the focus is on the finer details that separate a promising prospect from a reliable NHL regular. For a team that has invested in its back end, that kind of awareness is a good sign, even if the real test is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Get Goalie Relief But Opening Night Still Has Two Big Worries
The Sabres at least got one bit of good news as they set their initial 23-man roster, with their goalie situation no longer looking quite as dire as it did earlier in camp. Buffalo does not have any of its top three goaltenders on injured reserve, and that alone gives the coaching staff a little more flexibility heading into the start of the season.
Still, the roster comes with two obvious concerns right at the top of the depth chart. Mattias Samuelsson and Connor Timmins are both on injured reserve, leaving Buffalo short on expected top-six defensemen, and the blue line is not the only spot without a clear answer. The club has not yet settled on a starter for the opener, with Alex Lyon, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Colten Ellis all still in the mix. [Read more 🡒]