2 Star Goalies Named as Targets for Sabres
Could the Sabres look to add a goalie this summer?
2 Star Goalies Named as Targets for SabresThe Buffalo Sabres' goaltending has a bright future. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has taken a monster step forward this season and has emerged as the club's starter. They also have top rookie Devon Levi, who has the tools to blossom into a potential star later down the road.
However, when it comes to Levi, the promising rookie may benefit from spending more time in the AHL before making a permanent jump to the NHL. The 22-year-old struggled as a regular on the Sabres' roster during the beginning portion of the season and has thrived in developing his game with the Rochester Americans since being demoted.
The Sabres could consider allowing Levi to grow his game more down in the AHL next season. Because of this, in a recent article for The Hockey News' main site, Adam Proteau argued that the Sabres should target a "stop-gap goaltender." From there, he listed Linus Ullmark (Boston Bruins) and Cam Talbot (Los Angeles Kings) as two veteran goalies who could make sense for the Sabres. Let's dive into each goalie now.
Linus Ullmark
The Sabres know Ullmark well, as the Bruins star goalie spent the first six seasons of his career with Buffalo. The Sabres, unfortunately, lost him through free agency right as he was breaking out. Since then, he has formed the NHL's top tandem with Jeremy Swayman. He also, of course, secured his first career Vezina Trophy in 2022-23 after posting a 40-6-1 record, .938 SV%, and a 1.89 GAA.
While Ullmark has been excellent since joining the Bruins, there's an expectation that Boston will shop him this offseason. Reports surfaced that Ullmark blocked a trade at the deadline. Along with that, Swayman is due for a major raise and is the goalie of the future for Boston, so that may make Ullmark expendable.
Ullmark, 30, has one year left on his contract after this season and a $5 million cap hit. As a result, he could be the perfect high-impact goaltender to add for the short term while Levi continues his development.
Cam Talbot
Talbot is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) who has been quite good for the Los Angeles Kings this campaign. In 48 games, he has a 23-18-6 record, a .915 SV%, and a 2.48 GAA. With that, he was named to his first career All-Star Game due to his strong play.
When noting that Talbot has had such a strong season, he could be the perfect kind of goalie to bring in on a short-term deal. Unlike in a hypothetical Ullmark trade, the Sabres could land Talbot without giving up any assets if he hits the market. That certainly makes him an appealing potential choice.
At 36 years old, Talbot would work as a reliable short-term option for the Sabres. Buffalo also will have the cap space to try to lure him to Buffalo.
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