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Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Buffalo Sabres (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Buffalo Sabres Season Preview: Goaltending

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Ryan Womeldorf | Last updated Aug 29, 2025 2:39 PM ET

Fans and players alike are looking to put the 2024-25 Buffalo Sabres season in the rearview mirror. Aside from a late push, the Sabres provided little but disappointment en route to a 14^th consecutive season without a playoff appearance.

As the Sabres prepare for the 2025-26 season, they are looking to improve in several areas. Though some players are focused on Olympic camp, the team is largely preparing for the season ahead. We’ll take a look at the goaltending situation and see how the Sabres stack up for the coming season.

The Starter: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

For the second season in a row, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is the clear starting goaltender. Whether he retains that status through the end of the season remains to be seen. After all, the man affectionately known as UPL was displaced as the starter last season, replaced by veteran James Reimer as the latter went on a tear to end the season.

Luukkonen experienced a breakout 2023-24 season, winning 27 games and posting a .910 save percentage (SV%) in 51 starts. With the keys to the crease, Luukkonen experienced a letdown across 55 starts during the 2025-26 season. His 3.20 goals-against average (GAA) and .887 SV% were major steps in the wrong direction.

At 26 years old, Luukkonen is entering his athletic prime. When he is on, he shows a calmness in the face of pressure that few goalies possess. With improved defensive play and a drive to rebound, Luukkonen is expected to go back to being one of the better goalies in the league as he was in the second half of 2024-25. If the Sabres are going to break their playoff drought, they can’t have anything less than the best from UPL.

The Backup: Alex Lyon

Alex Lyon joins the Sabres as a free agent addition, having spent the past two seasons with the Detroit Red Wings. The 32-year-old Lyon is the clear backup, as Reimer was to begin last season. Ideally, he will not become the starter as Reimer was to end the season.

Lyon is the average NHL journeyman goaltender. He has been solid in virtually every stop, putting up his best season as a backup during the Florida Panthers’ 2022-23 run to the Stanley Cup Final. With an improved defense in front of him, Lyon can become the solid veteran backup the Sabres require.

In an ideal situation, Lyon will start no more than 30 games this season. If the Sabres require more than that, it is a grave indication that the Luukkonen situation (and his contract extension prior to the 2024-25 season) is not working. It will also likely mean a 15^th consecutive season with no playoffs.

The Wild Card: Devon Levi

The potential third option in net for the Sabres is 23-year-old Devon Levi. Acquired in the trade that sent Sam Reinhart to the Florida Panthers, Levi has been deemed the heir apparent for the starting goaltending job in Buffalo.

In a rare sign of patience and in an effort to properly develop the player, the Sabres have allowed Levi to gain invaluable experience as a starter for the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL). Since being set down after a rough 23-game stretch in 2023-24, Levi has been wonderful.

Devon Levi, Rochester Americans (Photo by Micheline Veluvolu)

Last season, his first full season in the AHL, Levi was dominant. He posted a 25-13-6 record, a 2.20 GAA, .919 SV%, and earned seven shutouts. He was just as solid in an extended playoff run for the Amerks.

Levi will again begin the season with the Americans with the hope that perhaps one more season will have him ready for bigger and better. If Luukkonen slips again, it isn’t out of the realm of possibility to see Levi get the call before the season is up.

Bounce Back Season?

In what has been a problem for the Sabres for ages, they can never get all the facets of the game to work together. During the 2022-23 season, scoring was off the charts, and goaltending had emerged, only for team defense to fall off a cliff. Last season, scoring was again good, but goaltending faltered, and the power play was nonexistent.

The Sabres don’t need Luukkonen to be dominant, but they do need him to be an above-average netminder. He has shown the ability to carry the load in the past, and the hope is that 2024-25 was an aberration.

If the Sabres can see a rebound from Luukkonen and solid spot duty from Lyon, they should be in a much better position. The defense has undergone a major improvement with the addition of Michael Kesselring via the J.J. Peterka trade, so hopefully, goaltending will directly benefit.

Goaltending Pivotal to Sabres’ Success

On paper, the Sabres have average goaltending. If they get the Luukkonen of two seasons ago, they should be right there until the very end of the season, competing for a playoff spot. If they get the disappointing Luukkonen of a season ago, it could be yet another long year for the Sabres.

The Sabres appear to have a solid duo to split duties, and Levi waits in the wings as the potential heir apparent. Another dominant season in the AHL will no doubt support Levi’s case to move on and claim the starting role in Buffalo. For now, the focus is on delivering quality goaltending in 2025-26 and getting the Sabres into the playoffs after an eternity of missing out.