Both fans and players want to place the Buffalo Sabres season 2024-25 in the rearview mirror. Apart from a late push, the Sabres made little but disappointment on the way to one 14one consecutive season Without a play -off appearance.
While the Sabres are preparing for the 2025-26 season, they want to improve in different areas. Although some players are focused on Olympic camp, the team is largely preparing for the coming season. We will look at the goalization situation and see how the Sabres will stack in the coming season.
The Starter: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
For the second season in a row, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is the clear starting goalkeeper. Whether he retains that status until the end of the season is still to be seen. After all, the man was lovingly known as UPL as the starter last season, replaced by veteran James Reimer while the last one went in a tear to end the season.
Luukkonen experienced a breakout 2023-24 season, won 27 games and placed a .910 savings percentage (SV%) in 51 Starts. With the keys to the fold, Luukkonen experienced a disappointment about 55 starts during the 2025-26 season. His 3.20 goals against average (GAA) EN .887 SV% were important steps in the wrong direction.
At the age of 26, Luukkonen enters his athletic prime. When he is on, he shows a calmness in the face of pressure that have few goalkeepers. With an improved defensive game and a ride to rebound, it is expected that Luukkonen will again be one of the better goalkeepers in the competition, because he was in the second half of 2024-25. If the Sabres break their play -off drought, they can have nothing less than the best of UPL.
The Backup: Alex Lyon
Alex Lyon joins the Sabres as a free agent addition, after having spent the last two seasons with the Detroit Red Wings. The 32-year-old Lyon is the clear backup, because Reimer would start last season. In the ideal case, he will not be the starter because Reimer was the season.
Lyon is the average NHL Journeyman -target defender. He has been solid in almost every stop and set up his best season as a backup during the 2022-23 from Florida Panthers to the Stanley Cup final. With an improved defense for him, Lyon can become the solid experienced backup that the Sabres need.
Related: Sabres’ Owen Power is ready for the breakout season in 2025-26
In an ideal situation, Lyon does not start more than 30 games this season. If the Sabres need more than that, it is a serious indication that the Luukkonen situation (and his contract extension prior to the 2024-25 season) does not work. It will probably also mean a 15one Consecutive season without play -offs.
The Wild Card: Devon Levi
The potential third option in the net before the Sabres is the 23-year-old Devon Levi. Acquired in the trade that Sam Reinhart sent to the Florida Panthers, Levi was supposed to be the heir for the starting goal convenation in Buffalo.
In a rare sign of patience and in an attempt to develop the player well, the Sabres Levi has enabled to gain invaluable experience as a starter for the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL). Since he was put down in 2023-24 after a rough rack of 23 games, Levi has been great.
Last season, his first full season in the AHL, Levi was dominant. He posted a record of 25-13-6, a 2.20 GAA, .919 SV%, and earned seven shutouts. He was just as solid in an extensive play -off run for the Amerks.
Levi will start the season again with the Americans with the hope that perhaps another season will have him ready for bigger and better. When Luukkonen slips again, it is not outside the empire of the possibility to see Levi get the call before the season is over.
Back season?
In what has been a problem for the Sabres for centuries, they can never let all facets of the game work together. During the 2022-23 season, scoring was outside the charts and the goalkeepers had emerged, only for team defense to fall from a cliff. Last season scoring was good again, but goal congregation was staggered and the Power Play did not exist.
The Sabres do not need Luukkonen to be dominant, but they do need him to be an above -average net. He has shown the opportunity to wear the load in the past, and the hope is that 2024-25 was an aberration.
If the Sabres can see a rebound of Luukkonen and Solid Spottaak from Lyon, they have to be in a much better position. The defense has undergone a major improvement with the addition of Michael Kesselring via the JJ Peterka trade, so hopefully goal convening will benefit immediately.
Target digitions crucial for the success of Sabres
The Sabres have average goal congregation on paper. If they get the Luukkonen from two seasons ago, they should be there until the end of the season, who compete for a play -off place. If they get the disappointing Luukkonen from a season ago, it could be a long year before the Sabres.
The Sabres seem to have a solid duo to split tasks, and Levi is waiting in the wings as the potential heir clearly. Another dominant season in the AHL will undoubtedly support Levi’s business to continue and claim the starting role in Buffalo. For the time being, the focus is on delivering quality finish in 2025-26 and getting the Sabes in the play-offs after an eternity of abuse.
#Buffalo #Sabres #Season #Preview #GoalTending #Hockey #Writers #Latest #News #Analysis