The Buffalo Sabres goaltending has been an issue for years. They’ve struggled to find a consistent starter or even a tandem that give them league average performance since the departure of Ryan Miller. 

They’ve tried to address the void by acquiring players like Robin Lehner and Carter Hutton. However, both failed to live up to expectations. Lehner had off-ice issues that contributed to some of his struggles. Hutton was unable to handle the load of a full-time starter. 

Below Average Goaltending

Over the past three seasons, the Sabres have had the second-lowest combined goals saved above expected (GSAx) among goaltenders to play at least 500 minutes in a season, according to Evolving Hockey. 

The story to go along with the poor goaltending over the last few years has been that the defense hasn’t helped and has played a part in the poor performance. In reality, shot quality the goaltenders have faced over the last few years has been around the league average in all situations. Evolving hockey has the Sabres ranked in the top 10 in two of the last three years in shot quality against per 60 minutes at 5 on 5. 

It appears as though the Sabres will need to address the position again in the offseason. They can’t have another year where the position lets them down. The good news is that Linus Ullmark has shown some promise this season, but it’s unlikely that he can handle the responsibility of being a starter on his own. 

Antti Raanta

There are a few options that the Sabres can explore in the offseason, but Antti Raanta of the Arizona Coyotes stands out. The 30-year-old has been one of the better goaltenders in the NHL over the last three years. Over that stretch, he’s second overall among goalies to play at least 2,000 total minutes in save percentage in all situations.

His deeper goaltending stats are impressive as well. The Finnish goaltender has the best adjusted Fenwick save percentage among that same group. Raanta has ranked in the top 10 in GSAx among all goaltenders to play at least 600 minutes in two of the last three seasons. The one year he wasn’t in the top 10 (2018-19) he battled injuries and only appeared in 12 games. 

He has only one year remaining on his deal that carries a $4.25 million cap hit. He could be available due to the Coyotes cap situation. According to Cap Friendly, they’re currently sitting at a $79.9 million projected cap hit for next year. Even if the salary cap goes up slightly, the Coyotes will need to dump some salary. 

Raanta is a prime candidate because of his current cap hit and the emergence of Darcy Kuemper. He was the number one goaltender and one of the best in the league before he got hurt. They’ve already given the 29-year-old a new contract, which is another sign that they’re ready to move forward with him as their new starter. 

The Sabres could get a decent goalie at cheap price and one that they only have to commit to in the short-term. It allows them to evaluate their potential tandem of Ullmark and Raanta next season to see how they want to move forward.

One way or another, the Sabres need to address the situation between the pipes. They have to find a solution that gives the team to have success and can even make up for some shortcomings on the roster at times.

Data via Evolving Hockey and Cap Friendly