3 most burning questions for the Buffalo Sabres heading into 2022-23
By Sion Fawkes
What are the most burning questions regarding the Buffalo Sabres in 2022-23? NHL.com has them and three possible answers for you.
The Buffalo Sabres are heading into the 2022-23 season with higher hopes than they have had in a while. But, they still figure to be on the lower end of the spectrum in the Eastern Conference, even if they have enough talent to catch a few teams off-guard and perhaps compete to secure a wild card spot.
That said, there are plenty of questions surrounding the Sabres this season. And NHL.com listed three burning questions during their annual 32 in 32 series. I paraphrased these questions asked by NHL.com’s Mike Zeisberger and provided my own angle for the three most burning questions facing the Buffalo Sabres in 2022-23.
The three most burning questions for the Buffalo Sabres for 2022-23: Question #1 – Will Eric Comrie and Craig Anderson make a quality goaltending duo?
At this point, we know Anderson is a definite stopgap while Comrie could be a potential franchise goaltender. But we don’t need to get too far ahead of ourselves. We know general manager Kevyn Adams signed Comrie with the intention of holding the fort down until Devon Levi inks his rookie deal with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Erik Portillo also in the mix to sign and snag the job.
But, that does not mean Comrie won’t come in and steal the show. I’ve stated numerous times that Comrie was a backup because Connor Hellebuyck was present in Winnipeg, and hardly a soul in the NHL would beat out the former Vezina winner.
My projection is, with a better Buffalo Sabres team in front of him, that Comrie can build off of his 10-5-1 record, 0.928 save percentage, and 2.58 GAA last season. He showed enough in 2021-22 to warrant a starting job in the NHL, with Anderson pitching in as the backup as of August 2022.
Anderson also played well last season before tailing off toward the end with injuries and having allowed three or more goals in seven of his final 11 appearances. So in a backup role where he could start between 20 and 25 games max will keep him well-preserved.
My short answer is: Yes, Craig Anderson and Eric Comrie will make a quality goaltending duo assuming Comrie stays healthy enough to keep Anderson’s body preserved.