5 Buffalo Sabres players who won’t be back next season

Eric Comrie showed value later in the season

This isn’t saying Devon Levi is ready to join the NHL ranks full-time next in 2024-25. We made the mistake thinking that was the case after his solid seven-game sample size, so Kevyn Adams should think about investing in another veteran goaltender this offseason. But Eric Comrie shouldn’t be that player, given his continued regression this year. 

While Comrie only has seen action in nine games this season, it’s large enough of a sample size since he also saw 19 contests last year to conclude his future is most likely as a full-time AHLer starting next season. His 3.91 GAA is currently the ninth-highest in the league and the third-highest of all goaltenders who have appeared in at least nine games. 

His save percentage of 0.864 is tied for the eighth-lowest alongside Calvin Petersen and the eighth-lowest among all netminders who appeared in nine or more contests. Thanks to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s emergence and Devon Levi’s average play, the Sabres defense isn’t the issue, so it’s time for this team to find a more reliable player to provide organizational depth. 

They could consider bringing back Dustin Tokarski for another season, or they can look at the talent available in the free agent pool - even if the 2024 goaltender class doesn’t look appealing.