The Sabres are set to open training camp in two weeks, and Sabres.com is breaking down the team’s top storylines ahead of the 2024-25 season.
We've already taken a look at the forwards and defensemen.
Today we will examine the goaltenders, headlined by Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who agreed to terms with the Sabres on a five-year contract in July.
Returning players
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Luukkonen returns to Buffalo following a career year in 2023-24, which saw the 25-year-old set career highs in games played (54), wins (27), and shutouts (5) while posting a 2.57 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage.
The netminder was pleased with his performance in a starting role and felt his confidence continued to grow over time, which he will look to carry into this upcoming season.
“I think that was really good for me and it’s good learning for me,” Luukkonen said during his end-of-season media availability in April. “I want to be a starting goalie in this league. I feel like I can be a good starting goalie in this league. Kind of going through that this year, it helped me a lot. It helped my confidence. I feel like physically and mentally, I was really as fresh as I can be and kind of went through it without any difficulty, so I think that gives me confidence for next year too.”
Devon Levi
Levi started last season in the NHL as part of a three-man goalie tandem alongside Luukkonen and Eric Comrie before finishing his rookie campaign in the American Hockey League with Rochester. There, he helped the Amerks secure the second seed in the North Division after going 16-6-4 and registering a .927 save percentage, which was the best mark in the AHL among qualified goaltenders.
Levi led the Amerks to the North Division Semifinals, where he led all rookie goaltenders with a .923 save percentage as Rochester fell in Game 5 of the series to the Syracuse Crunch. The 22-year-old used the run to build on his experience and play consistent minutes in between the pipes in Rochester but will now focus on competing for the backup spot in Buffalo.
“I’ve learned so much about myself, about my teammates, about the game, being a pro. It was a pleasure being here, with all my heart,” Levi said following the Amerks’ Game 5 loss to the Crunch in May. “It was an unbelievable segment of my life playing here.”
Offseason additions
James Reimer
Reimer joined the Sabres during free agency on a one-year contract worth $1 million and adds depth at the goaltender position along with fellow offseason addition Felix Sandstrom, who signed a one-year, two-way deal on July 1.
Reimer played 25 games last season with the Detroit Red Wings, posting an 11-8-2 record and a .904 save percentage. The 14-year veteran has 215 wins and a .910 save percentage in 501 career regular-season games.
Felix Sandstrom
Sandstrom appeared in 24 AHL games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in 2023-24, recording 13 wins. He has tallied a 39-29-13 record in 88 career games for the Phantoms.
Sandstrom also played in five games for the Philadelphia Flyers last season and has amassed over 1600 minutes in 30 career NHL games for the Flyers.
Storylines to watch
1) Luukkonen’s emergence as the No. 1
Luukkonen’s ascension to the starting role last season required patience as the Sabres’ three-man goalie tandem held him out of the first six games of the campaign.
After playing in just 18 games through the first three months of the season, Luukkonen began to emerge as the starter in January, when he registered a .944 save percentage and a 1.52 goals-against average in eight games.
His strong start to the new year began with a 40-save performance on Jan. 6 in Pittsburgh to kick off a stretch of 36 starts in the Sabres’ final 43 games of the season.
In that time, Luukkonen maintained a .919 save percentage that tied for eighth in the NHL among goaltenders with a minimum of 10 games played. He also tied for first with four shutouts in that span, including back-to-back shutouts against Chicago and San Jose in January.
Luukkonen’s breakout season and desire to play in Buffalo culminated in a long-term deal with the Sabres, a contract worth an average annual value of $4.75 million. He is expected to lead the way in goal for Buffalo in 2024-25 after proving what he can do when opportunity knocks.
“He wanted the net, and he had an opportunity, and he ran with it,” Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said. “And it was it was great to see. I loved the confidence that he gave our team. I think in the majority of almost all the games he played this year, he gave us a chance to win. And that's really at the end of the day, what you're looking for out of your goaltender.”
2) Who is the No. 2 goalie?
Coach Lindy Ruff expressed his excitement about the Sabres’ young goaltending tandem in Luukkonen and Levi during his introductory press conference back in April, but the addition of Reimer in free agency gives the team flexibility behind Luukkonen.
Levi is 15-10-2 in 30 NHL games and put together a stellar performance in the new year, recording three wins and a .928 save percentage in five starts for the Sabres before returning to Rochester. The stretch in Buffalo and his success in Rochester during the Amerks’ playoff run showed that Levi could be ready to make the jump to the NHL full-time.
But with Reimer in Buffalo, the Sabres could decide to give Levi more consistent playing time to develop in Rochester. Reimer has had a save percentage of .900 or higher in 13 of his 14 seasons in the league and brings a wealth of experience to the Sabres roster.
3) Prospect to watch
Scott Ratzlaff is expected to attend his second Sabres training camp following a strong season in the WHL as Seattle’s starting goalie.
The 19-year-old played 52 games for the Thunderbirds, recording 21 wins and a .905 save percentage. He posted a career-best 62 saves in a 3-1 win over Everett on Jan. 27 to be recognized as the WHL Goaltender of the Week.
Ratzlaff is projected to be a front-runner in net for Team Canada at the 2025 World Junior Championship. If he were to appear in a game for the Sabres this preseason, it would mark his first NHL preseason game.
