Sabres news: Sabres on thin ice between the pipes

On what planet did signing Aaron Dell and Craig Anderson as goalies this off-season make sense for the Buffalo Sabres? None that I am aware of. Combined, the two netminders signed for $1.5 million and there were certainly better options even within that price range. Here were my top 3 options:

#1) Braden Holtby:

Yes he is getting older and yes he didn’t have a great year last season, but he would be better than Anderson and Dell. He would have also been a great mentor for Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, much the same way Olaf Kolzig was for him. He cost the Dallas Stars $2 million on a one-year deal. The Sabres could have signed him, skipped on both Dell and Anderson, and only paid $500k more. He would have also added some credibility to a team sorely lacking in that area.

#2) Brian Elliott & David Rittich Combo:

Both are veterans but they have been much more dependable of late than Andersen and Dell. Elliott has helped groom young goalies like Carter Hart and Jordan Binnington, and Rittich has seen much more action than Anderson and Dell the last few years. Elliott and Riddick would have cost about $2.15 million combined, which is not a ton more than the Dell/Andersen combo.

#3 Aaron Dell & Alex Lyon Combo:

Dell is serviceable but cannot be depended on to play in a starting role. Alex Lyon is just 28 years old and has some upside. In short stints with the Flyers, he looked steady and his overall AHL career has been impressive. I would take him over Andersen any day of the week. He would have cost only around $800-$900k.

Are you sensing a theme here? There were much better options out there compared to what the Sabres ended up doing. For a team not expected to be good defensively, you can now say they are not likely to be strong in net either. Does anyone know where Dominik Hasek and Ryan Miller are???