The Buffalo Sabres toiled through weak goaltending in 2022-23. At least until Devon Levi signed and provided stability in the net.
Yesterday, it was all about ranking the forwards, and today, we’re ranking the four goaltenders who saw time between the pipes last season. Overall, the goaltending was weak, but you can thank bad defensive play to be partially responsible for the poor numbers the Buffalo Sabres goaltenders put up.
The good news, ironically, is that Buffalo could have found their pairing for 2023 and beyond. And if that’s the case, then this could become yet another positional unit of strength in the not-so-distant future.
So who ranked #1, and who won’t be back next season? Keep reading for more.
Ranking the Buffalo Sabres goaltenders from 2022-23
4 – Eric Comrie
After initially slated to receive the majority of the starts, Eric Comrie played in just 19 games this past season, compiling a 9-9-1 record, a save percentage of just 0.886, and a 3.67 GAA. Comrie is the classic case of a backup performing well enough to earn a chance to be a team’s 1A the following season, only to prove to the world that he is, and always will be a backup and a fringe NHL goaltender, if that.
While Comrie signed on for two seasons, I don’t expect him to be on the roster come opening day. Look for the Sabres to either move, or terminate his contract when eligible.
3 – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
If you want to talk about arguably the Buffalo Sabres most volatile player from a performance standpoint for 2022-23, it’s Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. There were times he looked liked a darkhorse to win the Calder Trophy. Other times, he looked like nothing more than a fringe member of an NHL roster.
While he finished 17-11-4, Luukkonen had a GAA of 3.61 and a save percentage of 0.891. However, given his youth, the flashes he’s shown, and the fact he’s been in the system for quite some time now, he will likely open the 2023-24 season as Devon Levi’s primary backup.
2 – Craig Anderson
Craig Anderson’s career ended in storybook fashion, and the only way you’d see him in a Buffalo Sabres uniform again would be if injuries strike the goaltenders and he agrees to be the fill-in. Probably won’t happen, but strange things have happened, so…
Anyway, the 41-year-old only saw action in 26 games, starting 24 of them. He rounded out the season with an 11-11-2 record, a 3.06 GAA, and a 0.908 save percentage. For the NHL’s oldest player, those aren’t bad numbers in the slightest.
1 – Devon Levi
You may scoff at this ranking, and claim that seven games is far too small of a sample size, but I digress. The truth is, Devon Levi played a full season in college, signed a contract, and found himself playing in the NHL just two weeks later with the Buffalo Sabres playoff hopes on thin ice.
And he responded with a 5-2-0 record, a 0.905 save percentage, and a 2.94 GAA. He adjusted to the speed and complexity of the NHL almost immediately, and at this time, there is no reason to believe he won’t be the starting goaltender in 2023-24.
The narrative claims starting goaltenders take longer to hone their game if they want to succeed at the NHL level. But Levi, so far anyway, has been the outlier. He more than deserves the #1 ranking.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)