Should adding a proven goalie be priority #1 this offseason?

[PromoTheRobot]

26 minutes ago, Night Train said:

Speaking of Levi

I heard a couple area Rochester sports guys say Levi wasn't helped much with the guys in front of them. Said the team D stunk. They think he's far better than the present talk,  Feel free to respond. I saw 2 Rochester games. Those nights, he was brilliant but others here know more. 

https://ottawacitizen.com/ottawa-senators/why-interest-buffalo-sabres-goalie-devon-levi

[transient]

On 5/24/2026 at 7:33 PM, ... said:

 

Again, not a UPL fan. If he stays, then okay.

But.

What are we trying to find, a #1 that can achieve better than 3rd in the league in SV%? Better than 4th at 5v5? If you want to guarantee that performance from a single guy you're going to have PAY.

Meanwhile we have top-5 goal-tending already on the roster. Maybe we have a little better with the kiddos.

My rationale, we’re trying to achieve consistency. If I thought Lyon and UPL were capable of delivering that level of goaltending again next regular season AND postseason, then great. Personally, I think this season was an outlier for both of them and I’m not confident they can replicate it… AND I think without something close to this season’s results in net, next season will be a disappointment. 

[miles]

honestly i dont know if UPL and Lyon are going to be consistent enough. in the playoffs UPL seemed to fall apart in a couple of games and then lyon was great until he wasnt.  i know that goalies will have bad games, but i would feel better if we got a historically proven goalie that has played in higher stress games.

 

i dont think this will be a super popular opinion, but i would love to see hellebuyck in the blue and gold, even if it costs Power. you know he is good in the clutch, even if it is just a few years until the sabres have someone ready

 

 

[apuszczalowski]

If they are going to change it up, it should be for a definite upgrade. Problem is there are very few options available that would be an upgrade (Hellebyuk). Most other moves would be gambling on someone being a potential upgrade and if that's the case your better off sticking with what they know/have and run it back with the same tandem/trio next year. Lyon is a known commodity, someone who can come in for a short period and be good, but then needs a break. UPL has shown flashes, is still young and could develop more, but could also have peaked. Ellis is unknown but would be a huge risk to put him in a bigger role hoping he is something. Of the known goalies available in FA I don't know of many that would be an upgrade

[TageMVP]

I wouldnt trade for the Jets goalie. Getting a little old and goalies are usually unpredictable from year to year. Sometimes game to game. Plus those fools would want too much by the looks of it 

Hard Pass 

[thewookie1]

So does anyone know which goalies are the best against breakaways and in tight shots?

[Nacho Libre]

This offseason is so much more exciting than last year without the dark cloud of no playoffs and uninspiring GM hanging over it. More exciting than any since the tank, I’d say 

[Archie Lee]

Luukkonen became a starting goalie in 23/24. Since the start of that season, 41 goalies have played 100 games or more.

Of those 41 goalies, Luukkonen is 16th in games played, 17th in GAA, 19th in save %, and 14th in wins.

Only four of the other 40 goalies on the list, are younger than UPL (Dostal, Wolf, Ersson, and Hofer).  

Excluding goalies who are free agents this offseason, UPL is the 25th highest paid goalie in the league.

UPL is coming off a season where for goalies with 35 or more games played, he was 7th in GAA and 6th in save%.

Consistency is an issue to be sure.  He was not great in the playoffs, though was better, and more composed, against Montreal (he was excellent on the road in games 4 and 6).

I would be surprised to find out that UPL is not viewed internally as the most likely long-term #1A in the org.  

 

 

[Pimlach]

On 5/25/2026 at 3:28 PM, Fansince70 said:

Having to start the likes of UPL as the only option in Game 7 should be unacceptable.  Hopefully next season shakes out a reliable starter.  

They could have started any of their other goalies,  UPL was the best chance to succeed.  

The big issue with giving Levi a good shot is all about timing and maybe injuries.  Veteran camp is in mid Sept, pre-season games in late Sept to mid Oct.    Can Levi convince the FO brass that he is an NHL goalie in time for them to release/trade one of Ellis, Lyon or UPL?     Or will they move a goalie and add a goalie before camp?   

 

 

[Fansince70]

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

They could have started any of their other goalies,  UPL was the best chance to succeed.  

The big issue with giving Levi a good shot is all about timing and maybe injuries.  Veteran camp is in mid Sept, pre-season games in late Sept to mid Oct.    Can Levi convince the FO brass that he is an NHL goalie in time for them to release/trade one of Ellis, Lyon or UPL?     Or will they move a goalie and add a goalie before camp?   

 

 

UPL was the best choice because Lyon has melted down in his previous start and Ellis was unproven. Not a exactly a position of strength.  If I'm not mistaken Ellis is the youngest of the three from the roster last year.  I like him better than Levi.  UPL should be gone- he blanks out in the big moments. And come to think of it, the random small moments too.   I would be fine with Lyon, Ellis and Levi as a base projection, but still look hard at acquiring another vet.  

Edited June 2 by Fansince70

[...]

Hopefully people in this thread are watching the SCFs.

Hart .874 in the regular season. 

Andersen .874 in the regular season. 

Neither were anything before the playoffs and both look like garbage in the first Cup Final game.

[French Collection]

8 hours ago, ... said:

Hopefully people in this thread are watching the SCFs.

Hart .874 in the regular season. 

Andersen .874 in the regular season. 

Neither were anything before the playoffs and both look like garbage in the first Cup Final game.

Goaltending is weird. Adin Hill backstopped Vegas’ previous Cup. We know Cam Ward won one for the Canes and wasn’t a star.

[dudacek]

I wonder what the market is for UPL?

I think he’s been around long enough that what we see with him is what we’re probably going to get: a middling NHL starting goalie.

He’ll be the 26th highest-paid goalie in the league next year, which is in-line with his play, so there should be a market, especially given his age.

But we can get a similar level of play at 1/3 the cost from Lyon. And I’m willing to bet on either Levi or Ellis doing the same.

I save $3M and roll 3 goalies again, at least until one of the kids separates himself.

 

[irregularly irregular]

4 hours ago, dudacek said:

I wonder what the market is for UPL?

I think he’s been around long enough that what we see with him is what we’re probably going to get: a middling NHL starting goalie.

He’ll be the 26th highest-paid goalie in the league next year, which is in-line with his play, so there should be a market, especially given his age.

But we can get a similar level of play at 1/3 the cost from Lyon. And I’m willing to bet on either Levi or Ellis doing the same.

I save $3M and roll 3 goalies again, at least until one of the kids separates himself.

 

This is spot on from my point of view. UPL's value as a trade piece in the current goalie market outweighs what he's shown long term. Tighten up the team D and see if one (both?) of the youngsters graduates to position 1A. 

[Porous Five Hole]

5 minutes ago, irregularly irregular said:

This is spot on from my point of view. UPL's value as a trade piece in the current goalie market outweighs what he's shown long term. Tighten up the team D and see if one (both?) of the youngsters graduates to position 1A. 

I agree with you. I don’t have faith that UPL will grow into a G1 for a playoff team. We cannot roll it back with him as G1 or G1A/B. It is time to be bold in the crease.  

[The Jokeman]

On 5/25/2026 at 6:08 PM, PromoTheRobot said:

https://ottawacitizen.com/ottawa-senators/why-interest-buffalo-sabres-goalie-devon-levi

If Ottawa wants him I'd ask for Vanek's kid and maybe a 2nd in return. 

[Porous Five Hole]

UPL ain’t it. The crease should be the highest priority for this franchises’s offseason.  
 

Folks can nibble at the edges of the roster with trading a kid or two for Robert Thomas, but an upgrade in goal is the real answer. 

[Archie Lee]

10 hours ago, Porous Five Hole said:

UPL ain’t it. The crease should be the highest priority for this franchises’s offseason.  
 

Folks can nibble at the edges of the roster with trading a kid or two for Robert Thomas, but an upgrade in goal is the real answer. 

I think that on balance the evidence supports that UPL is more likely to be “it” than any of the other goalies we have. It would be far more risky, I think, to trade UPL and roll with an older Lyon and two completely unproven players, than to roll with UPL & two of the other three. I do suspect though that part of the 3 goalie thing comes from the org not fully trusting any of our goalies.  

An option for a hedge might be to trade Lyon and roll with UPL, Ellis, and Levi. UPL is the one who has proven he can excel over 35-50 games, though admittedly not yet two years in a row. Ellis and Levi are talented but unproven, though no longer kids either. Lyon, we probably saw the best you will get and he will be 34 in December. At least with this, we are not risking dumping Levi just as he is about to hit. 

All options are risky though. 

[French Collection]

52 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

I think that on balance the evidence supports that UPL is more likely to be “it” than any of the other goalies we have. It would be far more risky, I think, to trade UPL and roll with an older Lyon and two completely unproven players, than to roll with UPL & two of the other three. I do suspect though that part of the 3 goalie thing comes from the org not fully trusting any of our goalies.  

An option for a hedge might be to trade Lyon and roll with UPL, Ellis, and Levi. UPL is the one who has proven he can excel over 35-50 games, though admittedly not yet two years in a row. Ellis and Levi are talented but unproven, though no longer kids either. Lyon, we probably saw the best you will get and he will be 34 in December. At least with this, we are not risking dumping Levi just as he is about to hit. 

All options are risky though. 

It is difficult to trust goalies. It is a position where consistency is rare. I was ready to give up on UPL after 24/25. He bounced back to have a good season but had a few weak moments in the playoffs.
Lyon is a calm veteran that helps the room but cannot be a #1. I would like to have a duel between Ellis and Levi to determine who is best but a short term test doesn’t mean much when you are looking for a long term solution.

My gut tells me that Jarmo prefers Ellis and Levi will be moved while he runs back the three headed thing.

[nfreeman]

1 hour ago, Archie Lee said:

I think that on balance the evidence supports that UPL is more likely to be “it” than any of the other goalies we have. It would be far more risky, I think, to trade UPL and roll with an older Lyon and two completely unproven players, than to roll with UPL & two of the other three. I do suspect though that part of the 3 goalie thing comes from the org not fully trusting any of our goalies.  

An option for a hedge might be to trade Lyon and roll with UPL, Ellis, and Levi. UPL is the one who has proven he can excel over 35-50 games, though admittedly not yet two years in a row. Ellis and Levi are talented but unproven, though no longer kids either. Lyon, we probably saw the best you will get and he will be 34 in December. At least with this, we are not risking dumping Levi just as he is about to hit. 

All options are risky though. 

Good stuff here.  I think the least risky move would be to simply run it back with UPL, Lyon and Ellis -- but that isn't risk-free either, would result in losing Levi (likely for nothing) and would also cost them the cap space savings they would realize by trading UPL.

I agree that UPL/Ellis/Levi seems a bit less risky than Lyon/Ellis/Levi, but I don't think the spread is that wide between the 2 options -- and it's probably close enough that I could be OK if Jarmo decides to unload UPL to save the cap space and roll with Lyon/Ellis/Levi.

Lyon last 3 years: 

2023-24 -- 21 wins, 3.05, .904

2024-25 -- 14 wins, 2.81, .896

2025-26 -- 20 wins, 2.77, .907

UPL last 3 years:

2023-24 -- 27 wins, 2.57, .910

2024-25 -- 24 wins, 3.20, .887

2025-26 -- 22 wins, 2.52, .910

[Porous Five Hole]

1 hour ago, Archie Lee said:

I think that on balance the evidence supports that UPL is more likely to be “it” than any of the other goalies we have. It would be far more risky, I think, to trade UPL and roll with an older Lyon and two completely unproven players, than to roll with UPL & two of the other three. I do suspect though that part of the 3 goalie thing comes from the org not fully trusting any of our goalies.  

An option for a hedge might be to trade Lyon and roll with UPL, Ellis, and Levi. UPL is the one who has proven he can excel over 35-50 games, though admittedly not yet two years in a row. Ellis and Levi are talented but unproven, though no longer kids either. Lyon, we probably saw the best you will get and he will be 34 in December. At least with this, we are not risking dumping Levi just as he is about to hit. 

All options are risky though. 

I don’t know who’s available on the trade market, but personally I would focus on the crease before I go big game hunting on a 1C. 

[JohnC]

16 hours ago, dudacek said:

I wonder what the market is for UPL?

I think he’s been around long enough that what we see with him is what we’re probably going to get: a middling NHL starting goalie.

He’ll be the 26th highest-paid goalie in the league next year, which is in-line with his play, so there should be a market, especially given his age.

But we can get a similar level of play at 1/3 the cost from Lyon. And I’m willing to bet on either Levi or Ellis doing the same.

I save $3M and roll 3 goalies again, at least until one of the kids separates himself.

 

Your question in your first sentence is the fundamental issue? What is his market value? I don't think that it is high, especially at his salary. 

Our three-headed goalie situation worked last year. In general, the position held up and was not a liability. In fact, I would argue the opposite that it was a positive factor in this team's success. 

The issue with respect to UPL is how good can he be and how consistent can he be. There were games in which he was a rock in new with an economy of motion. And then there were games in which he reverted to excessive movement and flailing. 

Going against the prevailing view, I would stick with what we have and stay the course. I just think that it there is a chance at this stage of his career that UPL becomes a more consistent and one of our primary goalies. And it seems to me that if one of the goalies is dealt it would be Levi. 

[Nacho Libre]

26 minutes ago, Porous Five Hole said:

I don’t know who’s available on the trade market, but personally I would focus on the crease before I go big game hunting on a 1C. 

We’ve got it covered don’t worry - we can simply replace our average NHL starting goaltender (who nonetheless had hot streaks that, when combined with the hot streaks of another veteran, gave us good goaltending) with a guy who has shown…. literally no ability to be an NHL goaltender. What’s the drop off from NHL regular to a guy who can’t play in the NHL? Can’t be that big? I’ve heard it’s one of the easier leagues to make - especially for miniature goaltenders. We coming for that cup. The Reinhart deal will damn well be vindicated or we’ll die trying. Save a few bucks too.

Crack strategy guys, honestly. Just a shame it will not be Jarmo’s. 

Edited June 4 by Nacho Libre

[Flashsabre]

Do people here consider Freddy Andersen and Carter Hart Number 1 goalies?

[mjd1001]

On 5/26/2026 at 8:11 PM, transient said:

My rationale, we’re trying to achieve consistency. If I thought Lyon and UPL were capable of delivering that level of goaltending again next regular season AND postseason, then great. Personally, I think this season was an outlier for both of them and I’m not confident they can replicate it… AND I think without something close to this season’s results in net, next season will be a disappointment. 

I agree, but I also think that means you may not want to spend alot for another goaltender.

I'd keep UPL.  Randomly brining in another guy who 'might be better, might not be' doesn't make sense to me.

Here is the thing. Lets say you go out and somehow acquire (and pay for) one of the top 3 goalies in the league. Who that is I don't know, but suppose you do. You are replicating this years goaltending, at the likely expense of hurting the rest of the roster (the money to pay that goalie must be taken from someplace else, let alone the players use to acquire him). The same goaltending with a slightly lesser team up front isn't likely to get you any/much farther than you went this past season.

Now, I don't really like UPL, but I can 'accept him'. Yet I advocate for keeping him as you already have him, and you aren't paying him all that much. I want every possible asset used to make the team in front of him better.

Now for those who don't like advance stats/basic analytics, you probably don't want to read the rest of this post.

Expected goals. Expected goals for vs allowed.  Yes, its not a perfect stat, but it may be one of the better ones.  It kinda combines how many shots you take, along with the quality/location of those shots. To me it may be the most 'complete' analytic.  Why is it important (on a team basis here, not to analyze individual players.)?

It may be the best single metric for determining what teams are the best (besides actual record). And the Sabres are not that good in this area (as I have said before, they got to where they did this year on goaltending, goaltending that may not repeat)

You tend to go pretty far when you control the puck/shots/quality shots, regardless of your goaltending.

This current season, the top 3 teams in expected goals for vs allowed (Xga/Xgf) were Carolina, Colorado, and Vegas. (Buffalo was 19th). 

The pevious season (Florida over Edmonton for the Cup), the 3 best teams were: Florida, Carolina (who finished with 99 points), Edmonton. (Buffalo was 27th)

The season before that (Florida again over Edmonton for the Cup), the 3 best teams were: Carolina(who finished with 111 points), Edmonton, and Florida. (Buffalo was 24th)

In the modern NHL, you make the playoffs and go deep in the playoffs if you are at or near the top in Xgf/Xga and have decent goaltending...OR you are at least above average in Xgf/Xga and have great goaltending.

The Sabres were only average in Xgf/Xga.  The moment their previously great goaltending faltered even a little bit, they were in trouble. I don't think they can make it through 4 rounds of playing the top half of the league in the playoffs they way they are currently constructed.

Long term success for this team, they have to get better at generating shots, cutting down on shots, and the quality of those chances. THAT is what Xgf and Xga measure.

You take your chances with the goaltending you have (as long as its not AWFUL, like Ottawa had this year). But the team in front of that goalie must be better.

(and for those who don't like what they call 'spreadsheet hocky', I'm not advocating building a team simply based on who has the best numbers.  I am advocating building a team of the best players and the best strategy, and then that WILL be reflected in the numbers. You don't build a team to try to get the best advanced stats, but the advanced stats WILL show you if you fell short or not in your roster construction)

 

 

24 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

Do people here consider Freddy Andersen and Carter Hart Number 1 goalies?

You don't need a #1/great goalie if the team in front of them is good/great.  (See above)

Edited June 4 by mjd1001