Buffalo Sabres trading Craig Anderson would make sense

The Buffalo Sabres are a young franchise seeking to get younger and trading away their 40-year-old goaltender to a contending team will make sense. 

The ideal scenario for the Buffalo Sabres is to trade Craig Anderson and recall Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen from the AHL ranks. While fans have had mixed feelings on Luukkonen given his struggles in the AHL, he has shown on most evenings he can compete far better at the game’s top level.

Injuries to some of the Rochester Americans top players serve as one major reason for Luukkonen’s struggles. And with a healthier Sabres team, it’s easy to predict he can collect at least a .910 save percentage. But for him to claw his way back into the lineup, the Sabres need to make room.

Buffalo Sabres trading Craig Anderson would make room for Luukkonen

Anderson, 40, just recorded his 301st win against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Heritage Classic. But with the Sabres going in a different direction, it makes no sense to keep him around, even for just another month-and-a-half.

The Sabres need to see what they have in Luukkonen, and they’re not getting an accurate sample size with the 23-year-old toiling for a struggling AHL team in Rochester. While you can’t say the Sabres won’t struggle throughout the remainder of the season, their nucleus has formed, evidenced by their recent performances against some of the NHL’s top teams.

That said, it’s wise to see what Luukkonen can do in the net with a young, healthy Sabres team capable of pulling off massive upset after massive upset. The move would also allow Anderson to pursue that elusive Stanley Cup as his career winds down.

In the end, Luukkonen wins, Anderson wins, and perhaps even the Sabres win if Luukkonen performs well enough to enter the 2022-23 season as the starting goaltender. Anderson still has value to his name, which will allow the Sabres to get something for the aging goaltender. Especially if traded to a top contender.