The Buffalo Sabres seem to have gotten a friendly wink from the Law of Averages. Surely, after so many botched moves and trades, Sabres’ GM Kevyn Adams would get one move right.
Well, Wednesday night, said Law of Averages proved Adams right. The Sabres rolled with rookie netminder Colten Ellis. The 25-year-old was solid in his first NHL start, stopping 27 shots against the Detroit Red Wings for a 4-2 win.
As you may recall, Ellis was a waiver pick-up this season. The St. Louis Blues dropped Ellis on waivers towards the end of training camp, hoping to sneak him through. But the Sabres were having none of that and plucked the young goalie.
At the time, the move did raise some eyebrows. The Sabres had Alex Lyon and Alexandar Georgiev under contract. While starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was dealing with an injury, it seemed like Lyon and Georgiev would be the tandem moving forward.
That was why adding Ellis seemed interesting, but not necessarily an earth-shattering move. Things were further compounded when Georgiev, not Ellis, was waived. Now, it seems Ellis’ first start has vindicated Adams’ vision.
Yes, it’s just one start. No offense to the Red Wings, but it wasn’t like Ellis made 40 saves against the Edmonton Oilers or the Colorado Avalanche to steal the game for Buffalo. Still, it’s an encouraging sign to see moves finally going the Sabres’ way.
Sabres seem to strike it big with another controversial move
Another controversial move by Adams was the JJ Peterka trade. The move was a blemish on the Sabres’ organizational reputation as it signaled a sort of repudiation of the young forward's had for the team.
So, the Sabres had no choice but to move him. The return, Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan, was seen as decent, but hardly commensurate with Peterka’s talent level and pedigree.
Unfortunately, Kesselring is on the shelf at the moment. But Doan, well, he’s made Adams look smart. The 23-year-old has three goals and six points in seven games this season. While not precisely a scorching start, it’s a promising beginning to his tenure in Buffalo.
Doan has fit in nicely in Buffalo and could be a decent replacement for Peterka’s offense. Of course, it’s still early. It remains to be seen if Doan can sustain his production. But then again, by the Law of Averages, isn’t time the Sabres got a couple of moves right?
Striking it big with players like Doan and Ellis could be the beginning of a turnaround in Buffalo after the team seemingly hit rock bottom at the outset of this season.