After weeks of intense trade speculation surrounding Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck leading up to and in wake of the 2026 NHL Draft, the buzz has died down and the Buffalo Sabres still have the trio of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon and Colten Ellis as their goaltenders.
Although a blockbuster deal for Hellebuyck is still possible, perhaps closer to when teams report for training camp in September, it seems like general manager Jarmo Kekalainen feels comfortable sticking with the same triumvirate as last season for 2026-27.
Although the group lacks star power, the numbers from the first year of the rotation were quite promising. Buffalo finished third in team save percentage (.907) in 2025-26, which represented a massive improvement from the prior campaign (.888).
Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff deserves a lot of credit for skillfully juggling his netminders, making sure all three received enough practice reps to remain prepared to start. It's a challenge he'll be tasked with once again, barring a late-offseason trade for Hellebuyck.
Let's estimate how often all three members of the rotation will be called upon as the NHL shifts to an 84-game regular-season schedule.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (34 starts in 2025-26)
The Sabres have given UPL every opportunity to seize the full-time starting job in recent years. He's enjoyed some strong stretches, both last season and when he posted a .910 SV% across 54 appearances in 2023-24, but he's been unable to maintain that level over the long haul.
Luukkonen struggled mightily in 2024-25, compiling an .887 SV% in 55 games, and his inconsistency popped up again during the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He finished the club's long-awaited postseason return with an .876 SV% in six outings across two series.
The 27-year-old Finland native is still the Buffalo goaltender with the highest short-term upside, and it's a strong bet he'll be the Opening Night starter on Oct. 1 against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
UPL could push toward 50 starts if he's having a strong season, but we'll project a more conservative number based on the uncertainty created by his significant playoff struggles.
2026-27 projection: 38 starts
Alex Lyon (34 starts in 2025-26)
Lyon was one of the Sabres' most valuable players last season. He held down the fort early on, while Luukkonen was sidelined by injury and the rest of the roster had yet to hit its stride, and he registered a .904 SV% in 10 playoff games despite some hiccups along the way.
There are a couple variables that could impact his start total in 2026-27, though.
First, he'll be an impending unrestricted free agent. That's going to give Buffalo incentive to feed Ellis more opportunities to see if he can prove himself as a future chief backup.
Second, if Ellis is playing well, Lyon may become a trade candidate ahead of the 2027 deadline as contenders seek out some veteran stability in the crease.
It creates a situation where the 33-year-old Yale product may ending up playing a smaller role than expected in the Sabres' season, though that's not a guarantee.
2026-27 projection: 28 starts
Colten Ellis (14 starts in 2025-26)
Ellis has the widest range of potential start outcomes. Although unlikely, it's not out of the realm of possibility a standout first couple months, combined with underwhelming results from UPL and/or Lyon, allows the former St. Louis Blues prospect to emerge as Buffalo's starter.
The 25-year-old Canadian plays a unique style, dubbed "Colten Chaos" by some members of the fanbase, but the results were generally strong despite some extended stretches between outings as a rookie. He finished with a .903 SV% in 16 games.
It feels virtually certain the Sabres are going to feed him more opportunities, at least early in the campaign, to get a better sense of what they have in the 2019 third-round draft pick. How he responds to those chances will determine the path forward.
At baseline, we'll project he remains No. 3 on the depth chart, but it wouldn't be a total shock to see him end up with 30 (or more) appearances, either.
2026-27 projection: 18 starts
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