How many games will each Sabres goaltender start in 2024-25?

Experience is something the Buffalo Sabres have more of in 2024-25, and it’s been a while since we could last make such a claim. In fact, the Sabres are still young enough that there’s a chance they’ll still be among the less experienced, but still, at least they have players who have made postseason appearances and know how to win hockey games. 

That will help the Sabres goaltenders, who will most likely comprise Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and James Reimer. Luukkonen, who established himself well as the Blue and Gold’s unquestioned starter for most of 2023-24, will return to the driver’s seat once more in 2024-25, this time with the expectation that he will suit up for at least 50 of the Sabres games. 

But with Reimer sliding in as the backup, and by backup, I mean as a No. 2 goaltender and not a trendy 1B, Luukkonen should be in the net for 55-60 games this season. Yeah, that’s a lot to expect, but he nearly hit that range last year with 54, so it’s a realistic expectation. 

Could Luukkonen go even further and find himself between the pipes for between 61 and 65 games? If he builds off of what he accomplished last year, I don’t see why that wouldn’t be the case, especially since we know James Reimer could easily struggle in 2024-25. 

Luukkonen should be fine with the Sabres in 2024-25, Reimer a solid No. 2

While they were truncated seasons, I’d like to go back to James Reimer’s 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons since he played in a grand total of 47 contests, and between 22 and 25 per season. When combined, Reimer finished with 29 wins for the Carolina Hurricanes and he had a 2.66 GAA, plus a 0.910 save percentage, with a solid 0.556 quality start percentage. 

That said, I would look for Reimer to start no more than 22-27 games this season, the same number of contests he played in just one year ago. Reimer, while he struggled to just a 0.450 quality starts percentage in 2023-24, still eked out a 0.904 save percentage, and a 3.11 GAA. 

He was also playing for the Detroit Red Wings, a team that defensively rarely decided to show up unless they were playing the Blue and Gold. Anyway, if the Sabres can play a better game on defense when Reimer is in the net, he will at least emerge as a halfway decent backup. 

So, I’m looking for Luukkonen to play between 55 and 60 contests this year while Reimer gets the remainder. Unlike some of my thoughts earlier this summer, Devon Levi will get his reps in Rochester and, should injuries or ineffectiveness strike Buffalo, will remain with the Amerks for one more season before ultimately getting the call-up.