Why the Buffalo Sabres Should Pursue a Stop-Gap Goaltender
With Devon Levi still developing, who could the Buffalo Sabres pursue to strengthen their tandem in net next season?
The Buffalo Sabres are highly unlikely to make the Stanley Cup playoffs this season. One of the reasons why is their lack of consistently above-average goaltenders.
Now, youngster Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has emerged as a key piece in net for Buffalo, and 22-year-old rookie Devon Levi is also prominent in their plans for the seasons to come.
However, Sabres GM Kevyn Adams will be looking for as much goaltending depth as possible while Levi develops, and that fact opens up an array of potential netminding options for Buffalo.
Two veterans who might make sense for the Sabres in net are current Los Angeles Kings goalie Cam Talbot and Bruins counterpart Linus Ullmark.
The 36-year-old Talbot has had a solid season with the Kings, posting a .916 save percentage and a 2.48 goals-against average in 48 appearances. He’s a UFA this summer, and given that he’s played this season on a $1-million salary cap hit, the Sabres wouldn’t have to break the bank to bring him aboard.
Similarly, the Sabres could look to bring in another experienced hand in the form of Ullmark. The 30-year-old is under contract for one more season after this one, at a cap hit of $5 million. Ullmark also has a modified no-trade clause that allows him to provide Boston management with a list of 15 teams he can’t be dealt to next season, per PuckPedia.
With Ullmark’s history in Buffalo, he may not want to go back to Western New York to ply his trade next year. But if Adams can put in an energetic sell job to Ullmark, it wouldn’t be the strangest thing in the world to have him back with the Sabres once again.
Another candidate could be Toronto depth goalie Martin Jones, who has come through as advertised for the Maple Leafs, posting a .908 SP and a 2.70 GAA in 21 appearances this season.
Jones’ cap hit this year is just $875,000, so he won’t be out looking for a multi-year, lucrative contract this summer. He’s also shown a willingness to play in the AHL, and if Luukkonen and Levi both play well next season, Jones could provide some above-average goaltending insurance.
There are many options in net for Buffalo next year, but as we’ve seen this season, having depth and insurance in net is an ideal scenario for NHL teams.
Sabres management has all sorts of cap space to augment their core talents at forward and on ‘D’, but they’d be well-advised to strike quickly in the off-season. Otherwise, a goalie game of musical chairs could leave them in the same situation as they were in this season – and the status quo can’t be an option for them in the short-or long-term between the pipes.
Adams has to move with force and purpose to address their netminding, and the right choice in net could be the difference between making and missing the post-season in 2025.