The Buffalo Sabres have watched goaltender Dustin Tokarski grow this season and as a result, his .901 save percentage is his highest since 2014-15, minimum 100 saves.
While the Buffalo Sabres would love to keep starting goaltender Craig Anderson around, even as a backup, they also know the 40-year-old may be playing his final season. Therefore, the Sabres need a sound consolation plan and Tokarski has shown enough to be in the Sabres plan for at least another year.
Ideally, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen gets a chance in the net as the starter come October 2022. But the Sabres still need a proven product on the roster, and Tokarski can serve as that player. And while he has seen his struggles this season, Tokarski’s last three games further prove his growth, logging save percentages of .925, 1.000, and .967, respectively.
Buffalo Sabres must keep Dustin Tokarski around for 2022-23
At 32, one would think Tokarski is this experienced 10-year veteran, but he’s quite the opposite. Before this season, he appeared in just 47 NHL games dating back to 2009-10. Instead, Tokarski toiled in the AHL, doing everything in his power to salvage his professional hockey career.
Despite the loss on Friday night, Tokarski’s best game of the year arguably came against the Washington Capitals and not the Calgary Flames. In the tilt vs. Washington, Tokarski recorded 37 saves in a game where the Sabres found themselves completely outmatched.
Tokarski’s performance let the Sabres force their fourth straight overtime against yet another playoff contender. It was the type of game the Sabres would have found themselves losing by five or six goals just a month prior, but Tokarski’s quick reflexes prevented the blowout.
Tokarski also serves as a prime example for players who spend their entire NHL careers on thin ice (no pun intended). Players like Tokarski aren’t supposed to make it in the league, often flaming out well before age 30. And while it took over a decade, Tokarski will finally see an NHL season through from start to finish.
"“It shows if you put the work in, you do the right things, you’re gonna have success eventually,” Sabres winger Peyton Krebs said. “Obviously, goalies, they have a little bit … slower trajectory when they’re gonna make it. But for him that’s an awesome accomplishment. He’s been a great guy to me.” – via Buffalo Hockey Beat."
Regardless of a player’s draft status, to reach the NHL level requires a certain degree of work ethic. The Tampa Bay Lightning drafted Tokarski at 122nd overall back in 2008, and from the beginning, he needed to work twice as hard.
Tokarski has proven he can play in the league. And while Sabres fans clearly want to see Anderson stick around for another season, they also can’t go wrong with Tokarski as a backup if Anderson retires.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)