At this moment in time, there are three goaltenders on the Buffalo Sabres' roster: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon, and Colten Ellis.
But could the goaltender of focus for this final stretch of the regular season be Ellis and not the two goaltenders that have been mostly responsible for backstopping the Sabres to 90 points?
There is a chance that is the case, especially given that the Sabres do have one of the more unique goaltending lineups in the NHL. Not only are Luukkonen and Lyon both capable starters, but Ellis has been able to put up numbers in his first season. In addition, despite currently playing for the AHL's Rochester Americans, Devon Levi has shown his ability to be an option for the Sabres in the past.
But first, who is Colten Ellis?
Drafted in the third round of the 2019 NHL Draft by the St Louis Blues, Ellis spent the last six years splitting time between the QMJHL, the ECHL, and the AHL's Springfield Thunderbirds. In 2018, while with the QMJHL's Rimouski Océanic, Ellis was named to the All-Rookie Team; three years later, his performance with the Charlottetown Islanders during the 2020-21 season earned him First Team honors.
During the 2024-25 season, which he spent with the Thunderbirds, Ellis posted a 22-14-2 record through 42 games played while recording a .922 save percentage and a 2.63 goals against average; those averages are where Ellis' minor league numbers have generally leaned.
Prior to the 2025-26 season, Ellis was claimed off waivers by Buffalo; he's since gone on to start 13 games so far this season. Over that timeframe, Ellis has posted a 7-4-1 record, a 3.11 goals against average, and a .896 save percentage. That said, Ellis was in net for Buffalo's 5-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Nov. 17, posting a .970 save percentage during that game.
Could another strong start give Ellis the chance to earn a larger role for the 2026-27 season?
I am of the opinion that Ellis will earn significant playing time over the next few years and that those opportunities will come with the Sabres. Not only that, but he will also earn a start before the Sabres begin their postseason campaign.
With Lyon up for a contract extension this summer and with trade rumors surrounding Devon Levi, there is a decent chance the Sabres find themselves needing to reinforce their goalie market to some extent.
While they do have about a year before the window to solidify their long-term goaltending plans, Lyon is 33 years old compared to Ellis being 25. That could make any Lyon extension seem more like a short-to-medium-term option, which would accelerate any potential path for Ellis to be in the Sabres' full-time goaltending tandem.
That said, a couple things need to happen.
Most imminently, Ellis will need to start another game or two before the regular season is out. Any such start would likely come towards the very end of the season once the Sabres have clinched their spot in the playoffs and their seeding is more or less intact. With the Sabres' magic number down to 10 (21 if we're going off of points and not games won), there's a decent chance Ellis could get a start during Buffalo's penultimate regular season contest in Chicago. One could also pencil Ellis in against the Dallas Stars on April 15th or the New York Rangers the week before, though a start during the former game would necessitate Buffalo clinching during or before their April 6th encounter with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
In terms of performance expectations, a competitive effort and a .900 save percentage will likely be the elements that the coaching staff will be looking for in Ellis' next start.
Then, next year the Sabres would need to submit a qualifying offer to ensure that they can retain Ellis' rights. This is because Ellis is set to become a restricted free agent following the 2026-27 season, meaning that teams can sign a player via an offer sheet but the team the player is signed with can retain their contract by matching the terms of the offer sheet. The qualifying offer would also ensure that the team can negotiate an extension before the player hits unrestricted free agency; in this case, Ellis would hit unrestricted free agency after the 2027-28 season.
A strong 2026-27 season could see the Sabres and Ellis work towards an extension, but the extent of his future role with the team would rely on what happens with Lyon. Lyon's 2025-26 numbers have been considerably better than those from last year; through 30 starts, Lyon has posted a 19-8-3 record, a 2.62 goals against average, and a .913 save percentage. That performance could translate to an AAV that is higher than the $1.5 million he makes per year on his current deal.
If Buffalo and Lyon can't agree to an extension, that would set Ellis up well to be the team's future full-time backup behind Luukkonen.
Either way, the Sabres should consider all of their options before negotiating with Lyon; that includes giving Ellis another start or two before the regular season is out. Not only would that give the Sabres reason to strong-arm their future goaltending but it would also provide them with some stability, which will be of the utmost importance if the Sabres are to continue to fuel their long-term success.