Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - The Buffalo Sabres’ 2024-25 season has come to a close after seeing the team miss the playoffs for a mind-numbing 14th-straight season. Another year leaving fans feeling disillusioned and unsure of the future.
There are countless factors to blame as the cause of another failed push to the playoffs, with strong arguments to be made for each one. An anemic power play that failed to come through in the moments you needed it. A seemingly disjointed group that couldn’t wrap their minds around the way their coach wanted them to play until it was too late. An inability to hold the leads the inconsistent offense did provide for the team.
However, one stands out among the rest for many fans, one that has plagued these Sabres for almost the entirety of the drought: Goaltending.
These and too many others that added up to leave fans wondering how this team finally breaks the longest playoff drought in the NHL, a league that takes every measure possible to create parity.
I don’t want to claim to know every intricacy of how to build a winning hockey club in the best league on the planet. What I want to zoom in on here is the goaltending, one place I do have expertise in.
I have spent the majority of my life as either a goaltender in my playing days, or as I am now, a goaltending coach entrenched in learning everything I possibly can about a constantly evolving position in this great game of hockey. When I watch hockey, I see everything through a goaltender’s eyes. I am always cautious to avoid being too critical, or too generous to the Sabres’ netminders.
Goaltending is the most important position in the sport, because it has the ability to make mistakes disappear, or to shine a spotlight on them. If you have decent goaltending, the majority of people barely notice it. But if the goaltending is hurting the team, then everyone knows it.
With that said, the Sabres were hurt in crucial moments by their play in the crease. I think many know it hurt them this season.
Let’s dive into where things went wrong for them this year, and where they could go from here:
What happened?
The Sabres came into the season with Ukko-Pekka Lukkonen coming off a strong finish to the season prior. Freshly signed to a five-year, $4.75 million contract, Luukkonen was expected to carry the load for a young team looking to finally push into the playoffs.
They initially paired Luukkonen with a 22-year-old Devon Levi, who looks to be a promising, up-and-coming goalie, but he only lasted with the team full-time until Nov. 18. That’s when the Sabres sent Levi to the Rochester Americans in the American Hockey League to play more consistent minutes, which may have been their smartest move of the entire season.
Then came the return of James Reimer, who the team originally signed in free agency before losing him on waivers, and we saw the establishment of the Sabres’ goaltending duo for the remainder of the season.
Luukkonen finished his 2024-25 campaign with a mediocre .887 save percentage, a 3.20 goals-against average, and a 24-24-5 record. A disappointing step back from the play seen in the back half of last season.
The 25-year-old was inconsistent, at best, this year, and failed to stabilize himself and the Sabres at crucial points throughout the season. He looked different in his net this year, with some old habits returning that many thought he had outgrown: A tendency to slide too much, over pursuing plays that leaves him out of his net, a widened stance that limits his strength to make hard accurate movements.
The team in front of him was not the most defensively sound, but he ended the season with a -8.0 goals saved above expected. This number essentially takes into account the defensive play of the team by analyzing the level of danger each shot carried. That means he was giving up more goals than should have been going in, accounting for the play in front of him.
At points in the year where the team truly needed a goalie to steal a game, he failed to deliver.
This all led to a subpar season for Luukkonen, in which he ended up losing the starting role to a 37-year-old Reimer. It was a disappointing step back from the play that earned him his long-term contract.
This regression from Luukkonen is among the largest contributors to the Sabres missing the playoffs once again this season.
I recognize this probably sounds as if I think Luukkonen is a complete disaster. I do not believe that at all.
His play this year was, indeed, bad, but consistency in net is one of the hardest things to find in the league. The majority of the NHL’s goaltenders go through major peaks and valleys each season, and throughout their careers.
For example, in the last five years, Winnipeg Jets star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is the only goalie that has been in the top-five in the NHL by save percentage more than twice. By comparison, there have been five skaters that were top-five in points more than twice in the same timeframe.
This is to say that it’s entirely possible Luukkonen rebounds next year, and returns to being an above average netminder.
As for Reimer, he ended his 15th season in the NHL with a .901 save percentage, a 2.90 goals-against average, and a 10-8-2 record. He will be a free agent this summer, and it’s unknown whether or not he will make an attempt at playing another season at the age of 38.
The last month of the year was the only time I could point to goaltending being a strength, and it was Reimer stealing the crease from Luukkonen and going 8-3 in that stretch. His play was impressive, but I do not think it is sustainable. Reimer’s age, his playing style, and history all indicate he is not the goalie we saw for this stretch.
The Sabres may let him walk this offseason and avoid the risk involved with paying a player of his age.
What’s next?
If the Sabres hope to achieve their goal of making the playoffs before the drought reaches 15 seasons, they will need an improvement at the goaltending position.
A blueprint from a similar situation in goal is available just North of the border.
The Toronto Maple Leafs saw a seismic shift in identity over the course of last summer, headlined by the addition of defensive stalwart Christopher Tanev and goaltender Anthony Stolarz. They paired Stolarz with their young, talented, and former college goaltender Joseph Woll.
The result was an environment that allowed both goaltenders to shine, while not relying too heavily on one or the other. Woll posted a .909 save percentage, a 2.73 goals-against average, and a 27-14-1 record. Meanwhile, Stolarz finished with a .926 save percentage, a 2.14 goals-against average and a 21-8-3 record.
They backstopped a Toronto team that saw massive improvement in defensive play, leading to an Atlantic Division title.
One thing I want to emphasize in the Toronto model is that bringing Stolarz in was not the only change made by the Maple Leafs. Adding one goaltender does not immediately fix everything, but it does give the team a chance.
The Maple Leafs brought in defensive stalwart Christopher Tanev, and formed an entirely new identity under new head coach Craig Berube centered around playing a more responsible defensive game.
If the Sabres can make a similarly impactful addition to their defensive core and have head coach Lindy Ruff’s message come through consistently, that may provide an environment and an opportunity for their goaltenders to succeed.
How can the Sabres attempt to replicate the evolution seen by their rival from up the QEW?
There is clearly one spot filled by the Sabres’ own young, talented, former college goaltender in Levi.
He has proven all he needs to in the AHL this season, posting a .918 save percentage, 2.20 goals-against average, and a 25-12-4 record to go alongside a league-leading seven shutouts. And there’s still two games remaining in the regular season this weekend.
Levi has learned how to be a full-time starter in a professional league, and we have seen flashes of brilliance in his appearances with the big club over the last few seasons.
The Sabres need to give him the chance to prove he can do it at the next level, and be the steady presence a team needs to play better than .500 hockey.
However, in a season as important as this one, you cannot rely solely on a largely unproven netminder. Even if Levi has a great year, the team cannot count on him to play 55-65 games like a premier starter in the league would.
The real question comes with who will play the role of Stolarz for the Sabres next year.
The obvious choice is Luukkonen, who is only entering Year 2 of his five-year deal. However, his play this year was not up to snuff, and Buffalo can’t afford another season where goaltending holds the team back. Luukkonen has only really had one strong season as a pro, and he cost the team this year.
It’s unlikely the team will actually want to move off him, but it would be justifiable. The Sabres have limited options to replace him, outside of an unexpected trade target shaking loose.
Additionally, they will not want to block Levi’s path to the starter’s role whenever he is ready.
There is one name that could fit nicely entering free agency: Jake Allen.
The 34-year-old played 31 games for the Devils this year, posting a .908 save percentage and a 2.66 goals-against average on an average New Jersey team.
Allen represents a strong tandem partner, especially for a growing goaltender like Levi. He’s known to have an impressive hockey IQ and willingness to help younger players, a dream come true for Levi.
A guiding presence that can still provide results when called upon, and help shepherd him into realizing his elite potential.
What should they do?
There’s not many outside the Sabres organization that know the information general manager Kevyn Adams has, or knows how much they trust and believe in Luukkonen.
If they have any doubt that he will return to his previous form, they have to make a change. This team would be asking far too much of Levi if they are pairing him with this version of Luukkonen this season.
Adams and his staff need to have a very honest conversation with themselves and decide whether they truly believe he will bounce back, and provide what they need. If they cannot have average goaltending, at a minimum, any other changes made will be undone.
There is much work to be done to bring the Sabres back to the playoffs, but it all starts in the crease.