Colten Ellis was in the starter's net at Buffalo Sabres practice on Wednesday, which suggests he'll be between the pipes when the team visits Madison Square Garden on Thursday night for an important Eastern Conference clash with the New York Rangers.
It'll mark Ellis' first appearance since entering the NHL's concussion protocol during a Dec. 9 win over the Edmonton Oilers, and his performance may decide whether he remains in Buffalo.
The Sabres have posted an 11-1-0 record over their past 12 games. It's no coincidence they've received far better goaltending during their hot streak (.926 cumulative save percentage) without the problematic three-goalie rotation in place as Ellis and Alex Lyon recovered from injuries.
It's further evidence for new general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, who admitted in his introductory press conference that carrying three netminders on the active roster isn't ideal, that he'll need to move one of the goalies in the near future.
That's because Buffalo head coach Lindy Ruff announced Lyon is about a week away from making his return after a lower-body injury suffered in a Dec. 29 win over the St. Louis Blues.
Meanwhile, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has unexpectedly regained a firm grip on the starting job by stopping 138 of the 148 shots he's faced (.932 SV%) across his last five starts.
Colten Ellis' tenure with the Buffalo Sabres may come to a premature end as UPL and Alex Lyon thrive
The Sabres claimed Ellis off waivers from the Blues just before the start of the regular season as Luukkonen worked his way back from a pair of preseason injuries.
Ellis, who compiled a .919 save percentage in 64 AHL starts over the past three seasons, was outstanding in his NHL debut. He turned aside 29 of 31 Detroit Red Wings shots in a 4-2 Buffalo victory back on Oct. 22.
There were even early-season rumors St. Louis, which has continued to deal with goaltending problems throughout the campaign, was eager to grab him back if the Sabres placed him on the waiver wire.
Although the 25-year-old goalie's subsequent play hasn't always matched that initial success — he's generated an .888 SV% over his last seven outings — it's hard to pin that entirely on him because all three of Buffalo's netminders were struggling while trying to share starts and practice time.
Yet, when factoring in UPL's sudden surge and Lyon being the team's most consistent goaltender throughout the season, it appears Ellis is the odd man out.
Of course, it also felt for the first few months of the campaign that trading Luukkonen was the most obvious solution to the Sabres' problem. Then he started playing some of his best hockey to date. So, there's no doubt things can change in an instant.
Ellis, who quickly became a fan favorite, can force Kekalainen and Co. into an even more difficult decision with a standout showing against the Rangers on Thursday night.
It's still possible the Blue and Gold ultimately shop UPL — they also have Devon Levi in the AHL waiting for a shot at a full-time NHL role — and Lyon could attract trade interest from a Stanley Cup contender looking for a little more stability in net.
At this moment in time, however, either trading Ellis (are the Blues still interested?) or putting him back on waivers feels like the most likely outcome.
One thing's for sure: The Sabres can't reassemble the three-goalie rotation without serious risk of seeing their recent goaltending success crumble, which could sink their otherwise promising season.