The Buffalo Sabres are running out of healthy goalies fast, and the timing could hardly be worse.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen became the latest player to exit a preseason game early on Saturday, adding his name to a growing injury list that already included Olen Zellweger and Mattias Samuelsson, who left on Tuesday, plus Jiri Kulich and goalie Alex Lyon, who were also knocked out early on Thursday. With the season opener not coming until next Thursday, Buffalo at least has a little breathing room - but not much.
After the Sabres’ 3-1 preseason loss to the Penguins, Lindy Ruff said Luukkonen "tweaked something in the lower body and didn't want to take any chances with it." Ruff also offered a brief update on Lyon, saying, "the initial news was ok but he is probably going to miss a few days."
That leaves the Sabres in a familiar spot, and one they clearly planned for. If neither goalie is ready in time, Colten Ellis could end up as Buffalo’s starter when it opens the season against the Columbus Blue Jackets on October 1st.
This is not new territory for the Sabres. A year ago, they entered the season without Luukkonen after he arrived at camp injured and then got hurt again in his first preseason game. That forced Buffalo to lean on Lyon and Ellis to start the season, and Lyon was especially strong early on.
Even then, the Sabres never really seemed to get a long stretch with all three goalies healthy until late in the year. So while the current situation is messy, it’s also exactly why Buffalo kept three goalies around last season.
For Ellis, this could be another big chance. The Sabres claimed him off waivers before last season, and he had not yet made his NHL debut at that point. He made it with Buffalo and finished 8-4-2 with a 2.90 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage.
He also saw plenty of preseason action this month, appearing in all four games and stopping 41 of 44 shots, even though he didn’t get a start.
So no, this is not the setup Buffalo wanted. But Ellis has already shown he can handle the job when called upon, and the Sabres may need him again sooner than expected.
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 🡒]