Sabres claim Colten Ellis off waivers from Blues

The Buffalo Sabres have claimed goaltender Colten Ellis off waivers from the St. Louis Blues.

Ellis, 25, was placed on waivers yesterday after finishing the preseason with the Blues. Drafted 93rd overall in 2019, Ellis has yet to play an NHL game, but has performed well in the AHL and ECHL. He’s coming off his best season to date, registering a 22-14-5 record with three shutouts and a .922 save percentage with the Springfield Thunderbirds. He also went 1-2 in the playoffs with a .933 save percentage.

Throughout his career, Ellis has a 30-26-8 record with a .919 save percentage in the AHL and a 39-27-11 record with a .904 save percentage in the ECHL.

The move marks the third goaltender the Sabres have brought in since July 1. The team signed Alex Lyon to a two-year deal worth $1.5 million to kick off free agency before inking Alexandar Georgiev to a deal just prior to training camp.

Assuming no other moves are made, Ellis gives the AHL’s Rochester Americans some extra depth. The team already has Devon Levi, with young prospects Topias Leinonen and Scott Ratzlaff also set to play within the organization.

Back in Buffalo, Luukkonen is expected to be out week-to-week after suffering a lower-body injury last week. It’s a different ailment from the one that forced him to miss the start of training camp, which led to Georgiev’s signing.

The Sabres have seven goaltenders signed to NHL contracts, and all are expected to play within the team’s pro organizations this year. Something will likely need to give on the depth front, but having multiple options available to them gives them a lot of flexibility to work with.

Buffalo will open its season against the New York Rangers on Thursday before taking on Boston on Saturday. The team’s home opener will be on Oct. 13 when they host the Colorado Avalanche as part of the league’s Canadian Thanksgiving schedule.

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