Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen failed to impress across the Buffalo Sabres' first two games of the new season, a road loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets followed by a home win over the Chicago Blackhawks, so it may be time for a little "Colten Chaos."
Colten Ellis resided in the starter's net at Monday's practice, one day before the Sabres are scheduled to face the Minnesota Wild. Veteran backup Alex Lyon remains sidelined with an upper-body injury.
It’s a practice day but Colten Ellis is in the starter’s net — the #Sabres host the Wild tomorrow night. pic.twitter.com/4YzC2nLd7T
— Rachel Lenzi 💁🏻♀️😎💥 (@rachelmlenzi) October 5, 2026
Ellis enjoyed a solid start to his NHL career in 2025-26 with Buffalo, which claimed him off waivers from the St. Louis Blues last October. He compiled a .903 save percentage across 16 games (14 starts) as part of the team's three-goalie rotation.
The 26-year-old Canadian didn't receive a start in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which saw UPL and Lyon trade the crease back and forth with neither goaltender playing well enough to secure the starting role.
Now, with Luukkonen faltering early in the new campaign (.784 SV% in two starts) and Lyon unavailable, it's time for Ellis to enter the spotlight.
The 2019 third-round draft pick put together an impressive run as a prospect, highlighted by winning the Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy in 2021 for posting the QMJHL's best goals against average as a member of the Charlottetown Islanders. He also registered a .919 SV% across three years with the Springfield Thunderbirds, the Blues' AHL affiliate.
Buffalo liked him enough to grab him off waivers before last season, which essentially marked the beginning of the end for Devon Levi's tenure in Western New York. Levi is now competing for the No. 1 spot on the Edmonton Oilers' goaltending depth chart.
Although the Sabres are likely heading toward another full season with the rotation — barring a blockbuster trade for Connor Hellebuyck finally coming to fruition — Ellis can make his case to lead the group with strong play starting Tuesday against Minnesota.
UPL has been unable to secure the starting spot despite numerous opportunities in recent years, and Lyon isn't a long-term solution as a 33-year-old impending unrestricted free agent.
Ellis free-flowing style is a bit nerve-racking to watch at times, thus the "Colten Chaos" nickname, but he looked like Buffalo's best netminder during the preseason.
Now he'll get a chance to win the coaching staff over with a standout performance against the Wild.
Jarmo Kekalainen's handling of the Sabres' goalie situation remains up for debate
Buffalo general manager Jarmo Kekalainen spent the offseason talking up the club's current goaltending trio and refusing to overpay for Hellebuyck.
Fine. The Jets superstar is coming off the worst season of his otherwise decorated career (.895 SV% in 57 games) and carries an $8.5 million salary-cap hit through 2031. It's not an acquisition that would have come without risk and, for the most part, Buffalo's goalies played well in 2025-26.
Yet, in a summer where the Sabres were short on high-profile acquisitions (Olen Zellweger was the most notable addition), a Hellebuyck trade felt like it made a ton of sense.
Buffalo has an excess of top-nine forwards, something Winnipeg has been seeking in any deal for its three-time Vezina Trophy-winning netminder, and the playoffs seemed to prove Buffalo couldn't depend on UPL or Lyon if it wanted to emerge as a true Stanley Cup contender.
That doesn't mean the Blue and Gold should have paid the Jets' full asking price — speculation they asked for Zach Benson in the initial discussions is outrageous — but it felt like there was enough common ground between the sides to figure out an agreement.
Instead, the Sabres are already facing intense questions about what comes next between the pipes just a couple games into the 2026-27 season.
Maybe UPL will bounce back, or perhaps Ellis does emerge as a starter-level player, but there are far more questions than answers in the early going.
It leaves Kekalainen in position to face ample criticism if Buffalo struggles to keep pace in the loaded Eastern Conference because of poor play from its goaltenders.
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