Buffalo Sabres: The goaltender situation is better than you think
You may think the Buffalo Sabres are in a tough position at goaltender this season. But it is actually brighter than you may realize.
Okay, so the top two goaltenders in the Buffalo Sabres system is an injury-prone 41-year-old named Craig Anderson and a man named Eric Comrie, who has just 28 games of NHL experience. The oft-injured and inconsistent Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen could potentially sneak his way onto the roster if he has a good camp. But he has just 13 games of experience to his name.
In the AHL, the Sabres have Michael Houser and Malcolm Subban, both of whom saw limited time at goaltender in Buffalo last season when injuries knocked out Luukkonen and Anderson. Subban was fringe in 2021-22, and Houser, like Comrie and Luukkonen, has limited NHL experience. So much, the latter was wearing his Rochester Americans helmet during Sabres games.
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It’s tough to really pinpoint which goaltender is even the best in the system at this point. Luukkonen has the most potential of the five top goaltenders that are currently signed to the Sabres. And he did have some fantastic outings when the Sabres gave him a chance last season. While Luukkonen finished just 2-5-1, his 0.917 save percentage and 2.74 GAA turned heads.
Anderson’s save percentage sunk to just 0.897, his lowest since 2010-11 during his stint with the Colorado Avalanche. But the clear upside is that he also finished the year 17-12-2. Now, when you allow a GAA of 3.12, it’s clear you had some good scoring on your side. But still, Anderson’s record shows he can produce. He just isn’t a starter at this point in his career. Look for Anderson to spot start.
I am higher on Comrie than I am on both Anderson and Luukkonen. At least for this season, given his impressive outing in Winnipeg despite his small sample size. He finished with a 0.920 save percentage, a 10-5-1 record, and a 2.58 GAA, signaling he is on the up and up.
While we don’t know what Comrie will look like starting a full season, we do know that Anderson is a backup and Luukkonen has yet to show consistency and durability despite good numbers at the NHL level. Therefore, I am looking for Comrie to start.
Why Comrie brings optimism
Besides his stellar record and performances last season, Comrie brings optimism in other ways. Look at the goaltending situation last year where Anderson and Dustin Tokarski were the best options. You knew neither were long-term fixtures, but Comrie can man the net for an extended period.
Let’s assume the worst for a second, and suppose neither Devon Levi nor Erik Portillo sign. Anderson retires and Luukkonen cannot stay healthy nor consistent. Comrie could, at the very least, be The Guy in the net if the Sabres need him there. His numbers last season show he is at least capable of doing so. But you may ask: If he is so good, why did he never start?
The answer is that the Winnipeg Jets already had an established goaltender in Connor Hellebuyck, who has a Vezina Trophy to his name, plus regular contention for the Hart Trophy. Hellebuyck’s presence kept Comrie in a backup role given the former’s career accolades and consistency. The Jets had no reason to invoke a goaltender controversy no matter how well Comrie played.
Despite Comrie’s small sample size, he does bring plenty of experience given his time in the AHL. He has seen time in the NHL’s minor league since 2013-14, and has appeared in 207 total games, telling me that Comrie’s small yet intriguing sample size last season indicates he is ready to take on an expanded role. It just wasn’t going to happen in Winnipeg because the Jets didn’t need to replace Hellebuyck.
Anderson’s and Subban’s Upside
This is another plus for the Buffalo Sabres. And while neither Anderson nor Subban should be seeing an extended amount of playing time in the net, they both have mounds of NHL experience. Especially Anderson.
But Subban also has 86 games to his name, and he also had a decent run earlier in his career with the Vegas Golden Knights. During that stint, he compiled a 31-20-7 record, a 2.92 GAA, and a 0.901 save percentage. Not great numbers, but he showed enough that he too can be a reliable spot starter, much like Anderson.
Anderson has 683 games to his name. And one reason I was so ecstatic that general manager Kevyn Adams brought back the aging goaltender was not because I enjoyed seeing him play, but because he could use that experience in a backup/mentorship role. He is perfect for Luukkonen, Comrie, and if need be, Subban.
Perhaps the biggest upside for this duo is that they have seen many different situations, some that included fighting through adversity. It happened to Subban last season, when he was thrown into a hopeless situation after the Sabres acquired him from the Chicago Blackhawks. Of course, Anderson had spent a career seeing numerous ups and downs.
Their overall experience brings value. And together, Anderson and Subban provide much-needed depth and familiarity for a goaltending room that saw six starters in the net last season.
Prospects Devon Levi, Erik Portillo, and Topias Leinonen
Leinonen struggled at development camp before he suffered a shoulder injury, which ended his camp prematurely. But, he was also regarded by some as the top goaltender in the 2022 NHL Draft who will grow as a player over the next two to four seasons before he comes to North America. Or at least makes the decision on whether to come over.
So let’s focus mainly on our top two unsigned prospects: Devon Levi and Erik Portillo. It is highly uncertain as to whether Portillo signs. But he is still worth keeping tabs on, especially following his stellar 2021-22 campaign at the University of Michigan in which he recorded a 31-10-1 record, a 2.14 GAA, and a 0.926 save percentage.
Levi is more likely to sign and, no pun intended, has shown nothing but signs that he will officially become a member of the Buffalo Sabres organization when his year at Northeastern ends. One reason he wanted to return stemmed from his desire to repeat, if not improve, on his accomplished 2021-22 season, in which he enjoyed a 0.952 save percentage, a record of 21-10-1, and a 1.54 GAA.
Overall, Levi is going to have a tough time emulating that success. But by returning to college to prove to himself that he can do so tells me his head is in the right place. That the passion, tenacity, and work ethic are there for a long, successful NHL career.
Believe in the Buffalo Sabres goaltenders
While many in the Buffalo Sabres faithful believe the franchise still needs a goaltender, it is easy to argue that they don’t. You can’t name too many NHL franchises out there who have two guys who can evolve into solid starters this season in Eric Comrie and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
And you also won’t find many with the experience and success Craig Anderson has enjoyed. With that experience comes mentorship opportunities and even a chance to spot start. You can say the same about Malcolm Subban, who can also transform into a mentorship role both this season and even into the future if he decides to stick around.
Finally, some of the best goaltenders in college hockey today are in the Sabres system. And one of those goaltenders has shown every indication of signing. It also helps that they snagged who many believe was the top goaltender in the 2022 NHL Draft.
Therefore, the Buffalo Sabres goaltending situation may not look as strong as most of the NHL’s on paper. But when you really break things down, it is a potential-laden group with multiple young and intriguing NHL-caliber players, experience, and even future assets.
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For a team in transition like the Sabres, this could not be a better situation. If both Comrie and Luukkonen step into the net and exceed expectations, the Sabres have yet another very good problem on their hands.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference and Elite Prospects)