Despite their low points total, the Sabres finished the 2024-25 season with 265 goals, which ranked 10th in the NHL. And let’s be real: They enjoyed playoff-caliber scoring, so we know there are hardly any issues when the Blue and Gold have the puck.
But without the puck, it’s a different story. You don’t allow 287 goals, or the fourth-most in the NHL, without trying really hard to play poor defense. But were the Sabres even that bad defensively? Their goals allowed number implies it, but here are two stats that show it may not be the case:
- 2,368 shots against
- 0.879 save percentage
While the Sabres allowed more shots than most NHL teams, the total number sat just 50 over the league average of 2,318. That’s not a terrible number. It could be better and it needs to be better. Still, what would this team look like if it could just string together adequate goaltending?
Goaltending remains a gaping hole that needs to be fixed
We thought Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen fixed the issue in 2023-24 when he logged a 2.57 GAA, a 0.910 save percentage, and a 0.667 quality starts percentage to go with five shutouts. It set the stage for an even better 2024-25 season, except Luukkonen backslid worse than anyone would’ve imagined.
In 2023-24, he faced 1,470 shots on goal in 51 starts. That number increased to 1,489 in 55 starts this past season, meaning he faced fewer shots on goal per game. Bring those numbers down to averages, and he faced 28.8 shots per matchup last year, before that number decreased to just 27.07 this past season, well over one fewer shot per game.
Yeah, the Sabres had their flaws without the puck, but Luukkonen’s 0.887 save percentage, 3.20 GAA, and 0.509 quality starts percentage were beyond unacceptable. He also finished with just two shutouts and 16 ‘really bad starts,’ compared to just six in 2023-24.
The Sabres need to fix their goaltending woes before they get out of hand
The hope would be that Devon Levi can come in and fix this mess, perhaps giving Luukkonen more time off between games as it’s clear he shouldn’t start 50-plus contests. But Levi still struggles at the NHL level, even if he’s dominated throughout his time in the AHL.
If the Sabres don’t believe Levi’s ready to at least supplement Luukkonen regularly once the summer break begins, maybe general manager Kevyn Adams should look into the idea of trading Luukkonen elsewhere?
When you’re the Sabres, and your scoring is on par, your physical play has gotten better, and you didn’t allow a ton of shots on goal over the league average, all signs point to the goaltender. It’s a problem the Sabres need to fix in the offseason, or else we’re likely to see the same thing in 2025-26 unless Luukkonen rediscovers what made him so successful in 2023-24. But for a team threatening a decade and a half without a playoff berth, I’m not relying on him.