Should the Sabres add a backup goalie this summer?

Should the Sabres add a backup goalie this summer?

I’m Lance lowski the Sabers beat writer for the Buffalo News coming to you with my latest edition of the Sabers mailbag now of course if any of you aren’t aware in addition to the written version that you will find not only on our website but in print in the Buffalo News I also like to take one question from a reader submitted on Twitter X whatever you want to call it now or email l l y s o wsk k i ibff news.com and answer it here you know in the written version there’s only so much space to answer a question plus this is a different way to be able to answer questions engage with with everybody so let’s get right to it Stu st’s Twitter handle had a bunch of numbers at the end so don’t know his last name but thank you stu appreciate the question is Devon Levi better Suited growing in the American Hockey League rather than the NHL it depends on who you ask right the traditional school of thought in the National Hockey League is that a goalie in his stage of development typically they appear in 100 games between European leagues American Hockey League and ECHL before they become everyday NHL play players this is obviously different than Fords or defenseman but if you speak to people who are well-versed on goting development it’s critical in their minds that a young player in Levi’s position work out the Kinks in their game in lower levels of pro hockey rather than doing it in the NHL now we’ve seen we’ve seen athletes not have that 100 games and have success in the NHL we’ve had some who don’t have it and they struggle Jacob marsham for instance was rushed to the NHL an early age struggled and had to revive his career in Vancouver before he ultimately ended up in Calgary as one of the top 10 goalies in the league depending on who what side of the debate you are on so the sabes of course have gone about this very differently than most teams now if You’ rewind to opening night back in October Levi was the starter despite having only seven games of NHL experience at that time and Eric hry was the backup UK peka Lucan was a healthy scratch the depth chart was shaken up significantly as we progress through the season where Lucan took over the starting job in late December and didn’t look back had a breakout year he’s going to get paid as a restricted free agent this summer we will see what that contract looks like I would anticipate the average annual value being between 4.5 million and probably 5 million that’s where you’re you’re probably going to land on there the number will change based on term but you can pencil him in as the Sabers number one going into training camp Lindy Ru said as much in his opening press conference not too long ago so this creates the conversation that Stu raised which is is do they go out and get a backup goalie and put Deon Levi back in Rochester now if you go back and listen to Devon Levi’s End season Press Conference in Rochester after the amri playoff loss he certainly sounded like a goalie who expected to be in the NHL in the fall and has already turned the page on his American ocky League career now there’s no question the Sabres have painted themselves into a corner based on the way they’ve handled their go tending depth chart the past two years going with three goalies not only two years ago but of course last year and showing an eagerness um a priority to get Devon Levi starts is going to really impact negotiations if they do attempt to get a true number two going into next season if you’re a veteran goalie looking for a backup job in the NHL and you’re past your time in the American League are you going to take the risk of signing with Buffalo and possibly falling third on the depth chart and ending up in either a three- goalie rotation like Eric hry which is certainly going to impact his Market this summer in addition to the struggles he had when he was in goal or you end up on waivers and sent to Rochester that’s not a place anyone at that stage in their career wants to be at now in a perfect Cas scenario you have Lei bought in to the opportunity in the American League which of course like he embraced it he was very good about it uh acted like a pro everybody in Rochester was thoroughly impressed with him but if you say okay we’re going to put him back in Rochester at least at the start let’s go get somebody proven the goalie I would Target in unrestricted free agency is Casey desmith of the Vancouver Canucks now according to AFP analytics a Rochester based consulting firm which has done fantastic job the last couple of years in contract projections and other work Casey the Smith should be expected to receive a one-year contract at $1.6 million doesn’t sound like much it doesn’t but when you consider the other roster moves the sabes are going to have to make this summer to address their needs middle six center we’ll see about a top six Winger I think they can go without one we don’t know yet yet their restricted free agents are Lucan in so you know what that number is going to be essentially and the one big question mark there is Henry Oki Haru do they retain Henry Oki Haru at a price tag around four four and a half million or do they trade his rights and and reconfigure the bottom of their defense depth chart in the NHL either way money goes quickly now right now according to cap friendly the Sabers have 23.5 million in cap space if I’m not mistaken minus5 million for Lucan in you might keep hating Krebs at 1.7 according to AFP analytics and if you want to upgrade the top six with a Winger and get a center your cap space is essentially gone it just is it’s only for one year in my GM for a day article the way that I built the roster out but you still have to be Cog of that or you can save your 700 Grand put Levi in the NHL and use your tandem in the same way that the Boston Bruins have alternated starts with Jeremy San and Lena alar or and you sign a third goalie for the American League or you decide to go with Devon Levi and Rochester now Devon Levi is talented enough to be in the NHL right now we’ve seen it he’s won important games he beat the Vegas Golden Lights in December remember that incredible performance in his home town in Montreal where he beat the Canadians led the Savers to a win he has the talent he has all the potential to be a franchise goalie it just you see organizations are extremely careful usually with goalie development being patient and now that the Sabres have Lucan in how would it disrupt lucin’s Rhythm and preparation throughout the season if he’s alterating starts rather than carrying the Baton himself like he did Essen for the last three and a half months of the season it’s a conversation that they’re going to need to have with Mike Bales the goalie coach I would even include Sheamus codic their goalie development coach because he knows both goalies well how would this work how would this look look at the schedule we’ll have the NHL schedule released leading up to the NHL draft It’s usually the day before the draft something to keep an eye on we know when the Sabers are opening this season but what do their road trips look like is their schedule going to be condensed in certain spots where you know they’ve got the games in in they got the game in Chuy at open the year they’ve got the the four nations face off in February where players are going to be leaving and and representing well some of the players will be representing their country Ras m stallan in particular so these are all factors you have to consider I as we sit here in mid June personally it could go either way for me because I do believe that Levi is talented enough it just what gives me pause of course is some of the struggles we saw and the success Lucan had when he was able to get new Rhythm and able to carry carry that job but again there are going to be challenges in terms of acquiring a goalie you can go out and trade for somebody that’s always an option but you have to make sure you’re getting the right person what’s the contract look like what are you giving up goalies aren’t easy to get they’re at a premium there’s there aren’t 64 goalies who could play in the NHL there’s always a few who are tweeners who probably shouldn’t be an NHL roster but you run out of viable NHL ready options throughout the off season and part of that is Prospect development who you have uh grooming or developing with your affiliate so the Smith would be my pick Luca and the NHL Levis your starter and Rochester but I could also see the other side of it where okay you have Lucan and Levi on your NHL as your NHL tandem you rotate as much as possible there is a easy path here to get both of these you could get both of these guys 40 games you could it’s it’s very realistic in my opinion which would be beneficial to both of their developments because I think it is important to point out that Lucan is still developing he’s not done yet so another interesting letterer to this off season what do they do in goal who would be in option for the amirs that the Sabres do decide to Target a number three is Malcolm suban somebody they bring back we’re going to find out soon I’m lancei the Buffalo news thanks again

Casey DeSmith of the Vancouver Canucks would fit with the Sabres if they decide to have Devon Levi play another season in Rochester.