At age 40, Buffalo Sabres goaltender Craig Anderson had a stellar season in the net, posting a 17-12-2 record in 31 starts.
While Anderson will turn 41 in May, he also stated that the Buffalo Sabres would be an “ideal landing spot” if he were to play another season. But even at 41, Anderson would be a cost-effective, and effective, man to have in the net, ideally as a backup goalie.
This past July, he signed a one-year, $750,000 deal with the Sabres to return for a 19th season. And despite suffering a couple of injuries, he had a memorable year, scoring his 300th career win and allowing 3.12 goals per game, his second-lowest outing since 2017-18.
It makes perfect sense for the Buffalo Sabres to bring back Craig Anderson
While Anderson is not as effective in the net as he once was, he brings leadership and experience that few NHL players possess. For a young team like the Sabres that will only grow younger next season, having someone like Anderson around will keep the team on the straight and narrow.
Despite their youth, the Sabres had a memorable March and April when the rest of the league wrote them off as one of the NHL’s worst teams. Now that this team has valuable experience playing together, expect them to enter territory they haven’t seen in a decade: Playoff Contention.
While the Sabres can always go out and sign a veteran and lean on the 34 year old Kyle Okposo for leadership, they also need proven commodities in the net. Logistically, Anderson could start at goaltender in 2022-23. But given his age, he is best suited to be a backup to a younger, proven goaltender.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen could be that goaltender, but he is struggling with yet another injury. He has also been inconsistent in Rochester. If the Sabres don’t go with Luukkonen, look for them to sign a goaltender in free agency while simultaneously bringing back Anderson for one final season.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)