The Buffalo Sabres are going to give incumbent starting goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen every opportunity to reclaim the crease despite his poor play last season. If he falters again, however, could general manager Kevyn Adams target the Edmonton Oilers' Stuart Skinner in a trade?
SportsCasting editor Jeremy Freeborn reported Thursday the Sabres are one of two teams, along with the Atlantic Division rival Boston Bruins, who may attempt to land Skinner in a blockbuster deal during the upcoming 2025-26 season.
The Oilers would likely target Buffalo goaltending prospect Devon Levi, who recently signed a new two-year contract with the organization, in any future trade talks between the teams, per Freeborn.
Sabres' current goalie situation
Buffalo's outlook in the crease is pretty unique in that there's a lot of certainty — UPL is No. 1 on the depth chart followed by free-agent addition Alex Lyon and then Levi, who's slated to open the regular season with the AHL's Rochester Americans — but also plenty of uncertainty.
Luukkonen is coming off a forgettable 2024-25 season during which he posted a 3.20 goals against average and .887 save percentage. His struggles were a major reason the Sabres could never build any momentum as they missed the playoffs for a 14th straight year.
Yet, Adams decided not to completely overhaul his options between the pipes over the summer. Lyon is a capable, albeit underwhelming, backup option, but his arrival was more tied to making sure the organization could give Levi another full year of AHL development.
What Buffalo doesn't have is a clear answer to what happens if UPL struggles mightily for a season straight season. Lyon, 32, has never established himself as a starter-level goalie in the NHL and Levi has yet to thrive in the world's best hockey league despite his strong AHL results.
That's where the idea of a trade may come into play. If Luukkonen is holding the team back and the front office doesn't feel Levi is ready to carry the load, a deal to give the club another option could enter the conversation.
Would Skinner make sense for Buffalo?
Skinner checks several boxes for the Sabres. His strong track record includes a .906 career save percentage, including a .910 mark in the three-year period beginning in 2021-22, a 2023 All-Star selection and 50 games of playoff experience.
The 26-year-old Canadian is also entering the final season of his three-year, $7.8 million contract, so there's no hefty financial commitment. That's important because, like UPL, the Oilers netminder is coming off a down campaign.
Skinner a 2.81 GAA and .896 SV% in 2024-25. His drop off in play continued in the playoffs (.889 SV%), which caused him to cede some playing time to Calvin Pickard as the Oilers lost to the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight year.
So, it's a situation with a lot of variables, especially if the Oilers are hoping to land Levi in any potential swap as rumored.
The Sabres would want to see a sustained bounce-back stretch from Skinner to open the season before they even entertain the idea of giving up a top prospect for an impending unrestricted free agent. There would probably also be discussions about whether he'd be open to re-signing in Buffalo.
On the flip side, the Oilers are still aiming to bring home a Cup after a couple close calls. If Skinner plays well in the early going, it's unlikely they're going to move him in a futures-based trade.
That's why, despite some intriguing elements for both sides, this idea is a long shot. The Sabres are likely just going to bet on a rebound year from UPL and hope for the best rather than giving up on Levi at this stage of his development.