It feels like it is at the point that the Buffalo Sabres have to do something to shake up their roster and the goalie position seems like the most logical starting point. They have carried three goalies on their roster since Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen returned from his injury, and it has never felt like it was a long-term plan.
The hope was that two goalies would emerge as clear options and based on how the first quarter of the season went along, that was Alex Lyon and Colten Ellis. However, the Sabres might end up trading one of those two if Pierre LeBrun's belief is correct.
On Tuesday, he was on The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro and was asked if Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen might be on the trade block. "Not that I know of Tony," LeBrun said. "I know I've seen his name out there, but I don't believe the Sabres are actually trying to move him myself."
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen should be the one goalie that the Buffalo Sabres are trying to trade
At the time of the podcast, Luukkonen was coming off his best start of the season after allowing only one goal against the Carolina Hurricanes. He also won the game prior to that against the Chicago Blackhawks, but fell back into his bad habits against the Pittsburgh Penguins. It should be enough for the Sabres to at least begin exploring what the market might be for him, if they haven't yet.
There are plenty of teams out there already that could use some help in net and if the Buffalo Sabres decide to make a trade early, The first team that comes to mind is the Edmonton Oilers, who have struggled to open the season and need to prove to players like Connor McDavid they can help him not only get back to the Stanley Cup Final but win.
A trade for Luukkonen probably fits what they are looking for better than say Alex Lyon or Colten Ellis. Luukkonen can strike a nice balance between experience and youth, with already 157 games started, but is only 26 years old.
Meanwhile, the Sabres really aren't close to competing for a playoff spot and it could make sense for them to see what they have in Colten Ellis. He was largely an unknown with no NHL career starts prior to the season when they claimed him off waivers.
If the Sabres can make him the starter, or at least split the work evenly with Lyon, they can make a better decision on the future. A young player like Ellis with hopefully Devon Levi next season gives them a solid combination to stabilize the position.
The fact that the Buffalo Sabres seemingly aren''t trying to move him either means they aren't considering trading any of their goalies or are exploring the market for Colten Ellis or Alex Lyon. Either scenario is disappointing and is just another example of why the Sabres have not really competed for a playoff spot during Kevyn Adams' tenure as general manager.