The Buffalo Sabres’ biggest issue throughout this past season was defensive play. But to the team’s credit, they wasted little time addressing that this offseason. Unlike last summer when their front office was very quiet, general manager Kevyn Adams quickly signed two veteran defensemen when free agency opened on July 1. The presence of Erik Johnson and Connor Clifton should help stabilize things and give a badly needed veteran presence.
Assuming that will be the case, the team will now only have one area of concern — in goal. With three players once again factoring in, it’s difficult to tell what more this summer could bring or who will be the top guy come the fall. The Sabres currently have a number of questions surrounding their goaltending situation. Let’s break it down one at a time to make the most sense of all of them.
Sabres’ Defense Should Improve
None of the various men who stepped in net last season were completely successful, but it wasn’t entirely their fault. No goaltender has a chance without competent defensive play in front of them, and the Sabres lacked that all season long. Youth, inexperience and overcrowding resulted in another whirlwind year for Buffalo’s blue line corps, and it affected every member of the group. Even Rasmus Dahlin, who turned in a career year, was not immune.
Adding Johnson, a 15-season veteran and Stanley Cup champion with the Colorado Avalanche, was the exact type of player the Sabres were lacking. He instantly becomes the leader of the bunch upon joining, and his stay-at-home mentality will help anchor the likes of Dahlin and Owen Power while giving Mattias Samuelsson a reference point (from “Erik Johnson signing is as much a culture move for Sabres as it is about the defense”, The Buffalo News, 7/10/2023).
Clifton has flown under the radar for much of his career but has proven himself an excellent defensive defenseman as well. He didn’t get as much credit as he deserved during his time with the Boston Bruins, but he was a key piece of their success last season, posting 23 points and a plus-20 rating. Both are right-handed, which will help balance out the previously lefty-heavy unit. In all, Buffalo’s defense should see improvement next season, and it will make life far easier on their goaltenders as a result.
Comrie Still Has a Place
Signed last summer with the intent of becoming the Sabres’ new No. 1, Eric Comrie did not see his first season in Western New York go according to plan. However, he still could be of value in a platoon role. Of the Sabres’ current netminders, Comrie is the oldest and most experienced by far, even if he’s largely been a backup in his career. Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are undoubtedly ahead of him on the Sabres’ depth chart, but coach Don Granato can still use him in a role akin to Craig Anderson this season.
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After Luukkonen emerged, Anderson stepped in essentially whenever he was needed and did the youngster an invaluable service by preventing him from getting overloaded. The Sabres will need that even more now with the even younger Levi in the mix, and Comrie can be the man for the job. He’s proven himself to be a team player, and it would be hard to see him taking issue with such a role.
Is UPL Still A Factor?
Luukkonen took over the starting job for the Sabres after Comrie went down last November, and he stayed in that role for the remainder of the season. Though inconsistent at times, he largely played well and posted a 17-11-4 record with a 3.61 goals-against average. Despite this, he was sent to the sidelines when Levi arrived and did not play over the final two weeks of the season.
After being the Sabres’ backstop all season, the Finn suddenly looked like an afterthought, and questions about his future whereabouts began to arise. Once thought of as the team’s next big thing in goal, Luukkonen has had his ups and downs since he debuted in 2021, and he’s become a polarizing figure as a result. But though Levi has emerged as the preferred choice of fans, Luukkonen’s potential is still far too great to give up on him so easily.
The Sabres have the makings of two franchise goaltenders on their hands, which bodes incredibly well for the future. The NHL has entered the era of tandem goaltending, and more and more teams are shifting to the model. If continued to be given the time to develop properly and if Buffalo’s defense improves, Luukkonen and Levi could become a formidable duo that would spell all kinds of trouble for opposing teams.
Will Buffalo Enter the Gibson Sweepstakes?
A question that has been asked repeatedly is whether or not the Sabres will try to make a trade for a starting goaltender. The team doesn’t need to by any means, and it doesn’t appear that they’ll deviate from their plans. However, bringing in an established name to hold down the fort while their young talents develop would be far from the worst idea. And luckily for them, one of the best in the game is now on the market.
Anaheim’s John Gibson was recently reported as saying that he will not play another game for the Ducks. His agent denied the claim, but the consensus in the NHL is that the superstar’s time in Southern California is coming to an end, and every team is seemingly now in the purported duck hunt.
Though it’s all just been speculation to this point, the Sabres actually are a realistic landing spot for Gibson, 29, if Anaheim decides to move him. The American has four years remaining on the eight-year, $51 million contract he signed in 2018, an average annual value of $6.4 million. Unlike other teams, the Sabres have the financial leeway to take him on him but also a stacked minor-league pipeline. He’s one of the best goaltenders in the NHL, and the Ducks can rightfully command a big return for him. The Sabres have numerous talented prospects that could be offered in exchange, including goaltenders.
Although the Sabres would be foolish to let Luukkonen go at this point, packaging him for a player of Gibson’s caliber would be a worthy exception. And if Buffalo could leverage Anaheim into retaining a portion of his salary, a move would be doable. Adams has been very conservative when it comes to trades thus far in his tenure, and it’s quite likely that he’ll stay that way, but he’s shown himself capable of surprises as well.
Sabres Must Protect Levi At All Costs
It’s ironic that the Sabres retired Ryan Miller’s No. 30 this year when considering that they haven’t had a stable No. 1 goaltender since he departed in 2014. Over the past decade, they’ve tried and failed time and time again to find their next franchise goaltender, but the search could very well be over (from “Like he once did, Ryan Miller hopes Sabres’ goalie prospects can step into starring role”, The Buffalo News, 2/3/2023).
Acquired in 2021, Devon Levi is without question the best goaltending prospect the Sabres have had in some time, but they have to handle his development properly and cannot afford to make mistakes. His arrival at the end of March was met with unprecedented hype, and he lived up to it, going 5-2-0 in seven games with a 2.94 GAA to help the team make a last-ditch push for the playoffs. Though they ultimately came up short, Levi received rave reviews for his play and became a sensation amongst fans. But those same fans will need to temper their expectations.
Levi played exceptionally well in his debut run, and his composure was remarkable given what was at stake, but he can’t be anointed the savior just yet. It’s crucial to remember that this is a 21-year-old, and though fans are enamored with him at the moment, the honeymoon period will end eventually. The Quebecois will have his growing pains like any other player his age, and patience will be needed. He’s nowhere near ready to take over the starting role, and like Luukkonen, the Sabres have to protect him.
Unfortunately for them, Old Reliable Craig Anderson is no longer there to fall back upon. One could argue that Levi would benefit from time in Rochester, and him getting sent down wouldn’t be entirely far-fetched. This isn’t likely, though, as he’s burned the first year of his entry-level deal, and the Sabres will be looking to get as much out of the rest of it as they can before it expires.
No team has any chance of victory without strong and consistent goaltending, and it’s remarkable to think how long the Sabres have lacked it. Levi could be the answer, but the team has to play its cards right, or else, they will have wasted the best opportunity they’ve had in quite some time.
Buffalo’s Goaltending Has Great Potential
Regardless of what they choose to do next, the Sabres’ situation in net is full of possibilities, and it would be very difficult to predict what will become of it. Levi is undoubtedly the guy moving forward, but Luukkonen is no slouch and shouldn’t get cast aside. Comrie could still serve a role as well, making it all the more intriguing. After a long period of futility, Buffalo may, at last, have its goaltending in place, making the team’s potential all the more frightening for opponents.
