The Buffalo Sabres already feature a three-goalie logjam in the NHL with Alex Lyon, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Colten Ellis, and the organization's talent between the pipes in the minor leagues suggests it'll remain a position of strength moving forward.
Devon Levi, a core piece of the Sam Reinhart trade with the Florida Panthers, headlines the group. He's continued his strong play for the AHL's Rochester Americans with a 1.80 goals against average and .933 save percentage in five appearances so far in 2025-26.
Levi, whose path to the NHL was blocked by the Sabres' acquisitions of Ellis and Alexandar Georgiev, has become the focus of trade speculation following his demotion to the Amerks. He's compiled a .923 SV% in 73 AHL games over the past three seasons.
The 23-year-old Canadian netminder isn't the only Buffalo goaltending prospect who's posted eye-popping numbers early in the new campaign.
Impressive depth will force the Buffalo Sabres to make difficult goaltender decisions in the coming years
Scott Ratzlaff — Jacksonville Icemen (ECHL)
2025-26 Stats: 3-0-0 record, 1.29 GAA, .966 SV%
Although there was some debate about whether the Sabres should send Ratzlaff, 20, back to the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds, a sixth season in Canadian junior hockey never made much sense. It was time for him to play against professional opponents, even if it meant playing in the ECHL rather than the AHL.
The 2023 fifth-round pick has been up to the challenge so far. His strong start in Jacksonville is particularly impressive since he only compiled a modest .909 SV% in 160 WHL outings, which raised questions whether he possessed true NHL upside.
It's impossible to make any definitive conclusions based on a three-start sample size, of course. Yet, the fact he hasn't looked out of place with the Icemen is a good sign. He could move up to Rochester if Buffalo is eventually able to trade a goalie or two before the March deadline.
Yevgeni Prokhorov — Dinamo-Shinnik Bobruysk (MHL; Russia)
2025-26 Stats: 9-3-0 record, 1.49 GAA, .944 SV%
The Sabres took a chance on Prokhorov's athletic 6-foot-3 frame when they selected him in the seventh round of the 2025 NHL Draft, and the early returns are exciting. His save percentage ranks fifth in the MHL among goalies who've played at least 10 games.
Prokhorov, 18, is still at least a handful of years away from becoming an option for the Sabres. The MHL is Russia's junior league, so his most likely next step will be making the jump to the KHL to see if he can handle a professional environment.
It wouldn't be a surprise to see him in North America for the 2027-28 season.
Ryerson Leenders — Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
2025-26 Stats: 7-0-1 record, 1.98 GAA, .930 SV%
Leenders, a 2024 seventh-rounder, wasn't on a lot of radars entering the 2025-26 campaign because it seemed like his development had stagnated over the past two OHL seasons, which included a move from the Mississauga Steelheads to Brantford.
The 19-year-old Ontario native is off to a red-hot start, though. The Bulldogs are the only OHL team without a regulation loss (every other club has at least three), and his save percentage ranks third among netminders with at least four starts.
Exactly where Leenders fits in the Sabres' crowded goaltending picture isn't clear at this point, but Buffalo general manager Kevyn Adams should absolutely be using the positional strength as leverage as he looks to upgrade the roster over the next couple months.