Buffalo Sabres: Pros and cons of a Levi-Luukkonen tandem

The Buffalo Sabres could roll with a promising goaltending tandem featuring Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in 2023-24.

The Buffalo Sabres are a young hockey team, and there is a chance they could show even more youth next season. Longtime players like Kyle Okposo and Zemgus Girgensons are unrestricted free agents (though one or both could be back), and there is talk regarding whether Victor Olofsson will be moved.

At goaltender, it seems to be a foregone conclusion that Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will man the net. For now, at least, as general manager Kevyn Adams still has Eric Comrie on the roster, along with several free agent options he can opt to bring in. Then, of course, there is the entire Connor Hellebuyck rumor.

But let’s assume for a second the Sabres go with Levi and Luukkonen. Is this a smart idea? Let’s look closer.

Should the Buffalo Sabres roll with Levi and Luukkonen?

Pros

For one, going with Levi and Luukkonen shows the duo that the Buffalo Sabres believe they can handle the workload of a full season. This should create optimism in both goaltenders, with Levi serving as the 1A and Luukkonen, the 1B.

For another, we can’t deny that the mentality of going with young players in the system over bringing in established talent has worked. We saw it happen last season with the Kid Line featuring Dylan Cozens, Jack Quinn, and J.J. Peterka, and the year before that, the then-brewing tandem of Rasmus Dahlin and Mattias Samuelsson.

This also indicates that the Sabres don’t only have a tandem for 2023-24; they could potentially have one for the foreseeable future. With two ultra-young NHL talents, it’s not farfetched to believe these two will become stalwarts in the Queen City and make up the tandem for the next half-decade, at least.