It’s going to be interesting to watch whether or not the Buffalo Sabres will be able to repeat their tremendous success they enjoyed over the final two-thirds of the 2025-26 NHL season that saw them return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2011, while also winning their division for the first time since 2007.
The Sabres have undergone more than a few significant changes since their campaign came to a close in the Eastern Conference Semifinal against the divisional rival Montreal Canadiens, as they weren’t able to re-sign forward Alex Tuch and dealt him to the Washington Capitals.
They also traded defenseman Bowen Byram and forward Jordan Greenway to the Chicago Blackhawks, and in return received the No. 4 and No. 45 picks in the 2026 NHL Draft, along with defenseman Louis Crevier.
Meanwhile, they’ve been heavily linked to All-Star Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, who helped lead Team USA to an upset victory over Team Canada in the gold medal game of the 2026 Milan Olympics in February.
Are The Buffalo Sabres About To Trade One Of Their Current Goaltenders?
Right now, the Sabres and Jets have yet to facilitate a trade involving Hellebuyck. However, the rumors of Hellebuyck ultimately landing in Western New York continue despite Training Camp being less than a month away.
Right now, the Sabres feature the combination of Alex Lyon and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, both of whom saw action in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for Buffalo earlier in the spring. They also have prospect Colton Ellis, who earned 16 games of NHL experience in 2025-26, waiting in the wings.
According to Sabres Insider Joe DiBiase of The Locked On Sabres podcast, Lyon would make the most sense to deal away given his tremendous value.
“And again, if you like Colton Ellis enough, is there a team out there that would be interested in Alex Lyon? There should be,” DiBiase said. “He’s cheap and he is good. I don’t know how you could really beat that combination when you’re looking around the goalie market at this point. Especially a goalie market (that) can get so expensive at times. Stupid money can be thrown around all the time. This guy making $1.5 million is one of the best values at the position in the NHL.”
Lyon, whom the Sabres signed last offseason, has one more season left on his contract with a $1.5 million salary cap hit. In his first season with Buffalo since coming over from the divisional rival Red Wings, Lyon went 20-10-4 with a 2.77 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage and posted three shutouts.
Are The Jets Going To Trade Connor Hellebuyck?
Right now, the Jets have the tandem of Hellebuyck and Stuart Skinner, the latter of whom they signed to a three-year contract as a UFA during the summer.
If the Sabres were to acquire Hellebuyck from the Jets, one of Luukkonen or Lyon (or perhaps even Ellis) would be going the other way to Manitoba.
A potential acquisition of Hellebuyck would be an immediate upgrade in goal for Buffalo, who wants to take the next step after returning to the playoffs for the first time in 15 years.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Sabres Insider Reveals The Goaltender They Could Trade appeared first on HEAVY.