Buffalo Sabres Goaltending Option: David Leggio

If Buffalo Sabres general manager Tim Murray elects to sign a goaltender as a quick replacement on the NHL level, could David Leggio be one of his options?

With Robin Lehner out for the time being – and the severity of his lower-body injury unknown at this point – Murray will have to make a move, one way or another, prior to Saturday afternoon’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

One of his options could be to pull a goaltender from the Rochester Americans, but he could also sign a free agent netminder, and Leggio would fit the bill.

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The 31-year-old is already well familiar with the Buffalo Sabres organization, having grown up in the Buffalo area (a Williamsville native). He also previously played for the Buffalo Sabres organization at the AHL level between 2010 and 2013, and he was an outstanding AHL netminder during that time.

His last season with the Rochester Americans, 2012-13, saw Leggio put up a 38-24-1 record. He registered a .924 save percentage – the best of his years in the Sabres organization – and a 2.56 GAA.

The year prior, Leggio went 28-24-2 with a .917 save percentage and 2.63 GAA with the Rochester Americans. He also spent the 2010-11 year with the Portland Pirates when they were the Sabres’ farm club.

Despite undoubtedly being the Rochester Americans’ top netminder, he was allowed to hit the free agent market in 2013, and subsequently signed with the Hershey Bears. After one season there, he signed with the New York Islanders, eventually joining their AHL affiliate.

He was eventually traded to the Arizona Coyotes and sent down to the Portland Pirates, bringing his career full-circle.

Wouldn’t this be a great time for things to start back up again with the Buffalo Sabres organization, where Leggio began his North American career those years ago?

Leggio is currently a free agent, having been released by the Winnipeg Jets after attending their training camp on a tryout basis. It was a surprising move to see him get cut at the last-minute, and he’s currently without a contract.

If Robin Lehner’s injury turns out to be long-term, Tim Murray will need a long-term fix. Calling up a netminder from the Amerks may provide temporary relief for one or two games, but beyond that, he’ll need to secure a goaltender that can stick around.

Oh, and if you’re not quite familiar with David Leggio, he’s got a great personality off the ice as well. Who could forget his scarily-accurate Pierre McGuire impression video?

So, could the Buffalo Sabres take a chance on David Leggio?

Sure, he doesn’t have any NHL experience. But Nathan Lieuwen only has a handful of games, and Andrey Makarov just one. Leggio, does, however, have experience playing overseas, having spent a season with TPS Turku in SM-liiga, the top Finnish league. He led the league with a 1.57 GAA in the postseason and helped his team to the league title; that shouldn’t be overlooked.

The Sabres may be able to make a trade in order to acquire another netminders – such as Ben Scrivens, who they could’ve claimed off waivers days ago – or they could sign a FA like Leggio.

Many of the other NHL FA options have begun their seasons playing overseas, like Niklas Svedberg in the KHL with Salavat Yulaev.

Just my opinion – but why not give Leggio a chance?

He was outstanding in net during his years with the Rochester Americans. Night in and night out, he was one of the team’s best players on the ice, and there’s no reason he can’t return to that form and fit nicely into an NHL backup role behind Chad Johnson, or even sharing the starting goaltender position with Johnson.

Next: Buffalo Sabres Goaltending: The Newcomers

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