Like it or not, the Buffalo Sabres aren’t acquiring another goaltender

The Buffalo Sabres may be down two goaltenders as they head into tomorrow’s matinee, but regardless, they aren’t acquiring another one via trade.

Devin Cooley is the call-up and he will most likely back up goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen unless something unforeseen changes between the time of this writing and when the puck drops for tomorrow’s afternoon showdown with the Colorado Avalanche. Hint: It most likely won’t, considering what Lance Lysowski of Buffalo News said on the situation:

"“The Sabres learned Saturday that Devon Levi is not ready to back up Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen on Sunday against Colorado. Levi has skated with the team once in nine days while recovering from a lower-body injury that coach Don Granato described as “soreness.” Levi has skated on his own and the injury isn’t thought to be serious, so the hope is that he an re-join them for practice Tuesday and backup Luukkkonen on Wednesday in Philadelphia.”"

Source: Sabres postgame Q&A: Is it too soon to worry about playoff chances?

We don’t know when Eric Comrie will return from what appears to be a “week-to-week” injury,  and we also know that Devon Levi has expectedly looked like a rookie at times. So will it entice general manager Kevyn Adams to try and acquire a goaltender? Nope, and one reason is that, despite Luukkonen’s struggles, there is hardly a better candidate available.

The only name Lysowski brought up was John Gibson, but there is no way Adams is, nor should he, acquire a goaltender who has posted such pedestrian numbers, even if he has been stuck playing behind a poor team in Anaheim. And just to be clear, Lysowski did not endorse a Gibson trade.

Buffalo Sabres are correct to roll with Luukkonen and eventually Levi

But really, the Sabres would need a younger, more upstart talent. Not a goaltender who is 30 years old and potentially overpriced. There is no one else, so let’s stop talking about the possibility of bringing one in and focus on the guys the Blue and Gold have in the system.

While Luukkonen is running out of excuses, his upside and youth are still enticing enough for the Blue and Gold to keep him around this season just to see if he can morph into the goaltender they thought envisioned. He will also be a restricted free agent following the 2023-24 season, so if he flops, avoid extending a qualifying offer and send him on his way.

Further, while Comrie will miss some time, he’s still just “week-to-week,” meaning he won’t be out incredibly long. However, it’s worth noting that this is the second time he’s missing extended time in as many seasons, so that should be a cause for concern for the Buffalo Sabres.

The good news in this conundrum is that the Blue and Gold’s core is raring to go for the rest of the decade. Adams now knows what he can spend on a goaltender to ultimately pair with Levi, and that may come in the summer of 2024. It may sound like a while, but remember, this is a young hockey team, so there lies the possibility of one more season of growth before they are ready to conquer – but it’s still way too early to make any assumptions.