The Buffalo Sabres will give incumbent starting goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen every chance to earn the crease again for the upcoming season. His monumental struggles last year — 3.20 goals against average and .887 save percentage — are a major cause for concern, though.
In turn, perhaps it's no surprise TSN's Travis Yost placed the Sabres in the lowest tier (Tier 5) for his goaltending talent rankings ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. Buffalo is joined by the Columbus Blue Jackets, Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins at the bottom of the list released Tuesday.
"Presumptive starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been a beacon of hope for Sabres fans over the past few years, a promising former second-round pick who looked fantastic two seasons ago," Yost wrote.