Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams has made his fair share of mistakes across six seasons leading the franchise's front office, but claiming goalie Colten Ellis off waivers from the St. Louis Blues just before the start of the 2025-26 campaign looks like a hit.
Ellis, 25, compiled a .914 save percentage across his first four NHL starts, three of which resulted in Buffalo wins, before a dreadful team-wide performance in a 6-2 loss to the Calgary Flames caused his overall numbers to dip considerably (.896 SV%).
ESPN called the 2019 third-round draft pick a "bright spot amid an otherwise difficult season" in its latest NHL power rankings, which rated the Sabres 27th out of the league's 32 teams.
"Buffalo found a potential hidden gem in goaltender Colten Ellis," ESPN wrote. "The Sabres claimed Ellis off waivers from St. Louis in October, and he has stepped in recently to help stabilize Buffalo in net."
Ellis strong play is one of the reasons the Blue and Gold have continued to carry three netminders on their active roster, which is a logjam Adams should attempt to solve as quickly as possible.
Colten Ellis making a strong initial case to become part of the Buffalo Sabres' goaltending future
The Sabres would surely prefer to send Ellis to the AHL's Rochester Americans, where he could split starts with prized prospect Devon Levi, while trying to trade either Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen or Alex Lyon before the 2026 NHL trade deadline in March.
Given how well Ellis has played, however, it's unlikely the 6-foot-1 Canadian goalie would make it through waivers. There was speculation earlier the campaign the Blues would claim him back if the Sabres put him on the waiver wire.
It's not just his performance at the NHL level that lends credence to the idea he's trending toward becoming at least a dependable backup. He compiled a strong .919 SV% across 64 games for the Springfield Thunderbirds, the Blues' AHL affiliate, over the past three years.
For a franchise like Buffalo, which has cycled through numerous goalies since the Ryan Miller era ended in 2014, giving up on a high-upside option like Ellis would come with plenty of risk.
It puts a lot of pressure on Adams to make the right call on how to handle the goaltending logjam.
Trading Luukkonen, who's compiled an unsightly .887 SV% in 62 outing since the beginning of last season, is the best option. Trying to find a taker for a goalie with those numbers who's signed through 2028-29 with a $4.75 million salary-cap hit won't be easy, though.
If they did, it would create a scenario where the Sabres could see what they have in Ellis and Lyon for the remainder of the current campaign and, if Ellis' standout play continues, they could potentially move forward with Ellis and Levi as their tandem.
Dealing Lyon, who was Buffalo's best player by far in the season's early stages, is also an option, though having UPL on the roster would still complicate matters in the years ahead.
Regardless of the direction the Sabres decide to go, it's become clear (if it wasn't already) that trying to juggle three netminders isn't a favorable environment for any of them over the long haul.
Meanwhile, Ellis should receive ample opportunities over the next few years, whether in Buffalo or elsewhere, to prove whether he's indeed capable of being a full-time NHL goalie.
His first handful of games have clearly raised his stock from a league-wide perspective.