Since the days of the tandem starter-backup pairing of Ryan Miller and Martin Biron, the Buffalo Sabres have struggled to find a top end backup goaltender that would be able to support the starter on a consistent basis. Even though they had Patrick Lalime and Ty Conklin for brief stints, they never really stayed long enough to make an impression.
Last season, Tim Murray made a trade with the New York Islanders that brought in 28 year old goaltender Chad Johnson.