Colten Ellis spent four years earning his stripes with the St. Louis Blues' minor league affiliates before the Buffalo Sabres plucked him off waivers before the start of the regular season. On Wednesday night, he finally skated his NHL rookie lap in front of friends and family.
Ellis then helped lead the Sabres to an impressive, well-rounded 4-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. The 25-year-old goaltender stopped 27 of the 29 shots he faced (.931 save percentage) and withstood a late flurry of attacking-zone pressure from the Atlantic Division rivals.
His strong performance creates a quandary for Buffalo's front office, which has also witnessed a terrific start to the campaign from Alex Lyon and will soon welcome incumbent starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen back from a pair of preseason injuries.
The Sabres may be forced to carry three goalies because, after Ellis' standout debut, it's hard to imagine the organization will want to put him on waivers. It'll create a lot of competition between the pipes for the Blue and Gold moving forward.
Colten Ellis, Jack Quinn headline Buffalo Sabres grades from Oct. 22 win over the Detroit Red Wings
Sabres player grades
Player | Grade (1-10) |
|---|---|
Jack Quinn | 9 |
Colten Ellis | 8.5 |
Josh Doan | 8 |
Tyson Kozak | 7.5 |
Conor Timmins | 7.5 |
Bowen Byram | 7 |
Ryan McLeod | 7 |
Mattias Samuelsson | 6.5 |
Noah Ostlund | 6 |
Alex Tuch | 6 |
Beck Malenstyn | 5.5 |
Peyton Krebs | 5 |
Zach Metsa | 5 |
Jason Zucker | 5 |
Zach Benson | 4.5 |
Rasmus Dahlin | 4 |
Jiri Kulich | 3 |
Tage Thompson | 3 |
Owen Power | 2.5 |
Buffalo Player of the Game: Jack Quinn
Quinn got off to a sluggish start to the campaign, scoring no points in the team's first three games, but he's suddenly come alive for Buffalo. He's recorded six points (three goals and three assists) over the past four contests, including a goal and two helpers against the Wings.
The Sabres needed more out of the 2020 first-round pick this year. He hadn't looked the same since suffering an Achilles injury during a 2023 offseason workout, which halted the sustained on-ice growth he'd shown throughout his 2022-23 rookie campaign.
Not only is Quinn scoring at a solid rate early on — his six points are tied for the team lead with Zach Benson and Josh Doan — but his returning confidence is evident. His goal against Detroit was a monster slap shot on the power play he may have shied away from last season.
His offensive volume must still increase (he isn't going to shoot 27.3% all season) and his skating still has a bit to go before it gets back to a pre-injury level. That said, the Sabres should still be excited about what he's shown so far in 2025-26.
Sabres quick hits
- Jason Zucker left the game with a lower-body injury and didn't return. He'd be a significant loss for Buffalo if it's a long-term absence.
- The Sabres have started playing a more sustainable style of winning hockey with a strong defensive structure and attacking the net more aggressively. Doan, Benson and Tyson Kozak are leading the charge in the latter regard.
- Mattias Samuelsson has been far more effective for the Blue and Gold early in the season. As always, the question remains can he stay healthy?
- Noah Ostlund played well in a limited role and deserves to stay in the lineup.
- Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin need to start playing like superstars.
- Owen Power will benefit from the return of Michael Kesselring, who's trending toward a return to practice in the coming days.
- The Sabres (3-4-0) return to action Friday night when they welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs (3-3-1) to the KeyBank Center for a 7 p.m. ET face off on ESPN Plus, Hulu and Disney Plus.