For most of the season, the Buffalo Sabres have had a three-goalie rotation. It is something that isn't ideal and early in the season, Lindy Ruff talked about how "it isn't easy to navigate."
When Jarmo Kekalainen took over as general manager of the Buffalo Sabres, one of the first things he mentioned was figuring out a solution to the three-goalie rotation that the team was utilizing. About six weeks after that press conference, the Sabres still have all three goalies and with the recent run of injuries, it might end up being the best thing for them.
On Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Buffalo Sabres saw Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen leave the game about midway through the first period. He suffered a lower-body injury and wasn't able to return so he would be replaced by Colten Ellis.
Ellis seemingly had fallen out of the rotation and hadn't played since January 15th but even with the time off, he didn't really miss a beat as he stopped 17 of 19 shots. After the game, Ruff said there wasn't an update on Luukkonen and he would be further evaluated.
However, Luukkonen has not been the most durable and missed almost all of the preseason and the beginning part of this season due to a lower-body injury. With the Olympics right around the corner, and Luukkonen was set to play in the Olympics for Team Finland, it wouldn't be surprising if the team held him out to avoid rushing him back.
Buffalo Sabres can't risk trading a goalie with the recent run of injuries
One of the reasons that Kekalainen hasn't really been able to make any moves at the position is that the team has seen a steady run of injuries over the past two months. It started on December 9th when Ellis suffered a concussion and kept him out until about the end of December.
However, within a couple of days of Ellis being ready to return, Alex Lyon would suffer an injury that saw him miss a few weeks. He would return January 20th and put together two solid performances.
The expectation was that Luukkonen and Lyon would be the starting goalies, but depending on the severity of the injury, Ellis now steps in as the backup for Lyon.
For most teams around the league, they will have two goalies on their NHL roster because it can create another roster spot for a skater. The Sabres might have to create that spot with players like Josh Norris, Justin Danforth, Conor Timmins, and hopefully Jiri Kulich getting closer to returns.
However, based on what the Buffalo Sabres have seen over the past few weeks, it might be wise for them to keep all three goalies on the roster. If they were to trade one of their three goalies and suffer an injury at the position, it would require the team to call up Devon Levi. The concern with that is that Levi has been inconsistent this season for Rochester and would be a risk.
While a three-goalie rotation is not ideal, it might be the best path forward for a team like the Buffalo Sabres as they continue their march towards a playoff spot.