Sabres Face Goaltending Dilemma In Game Six
- Seeking a spark as they went into the third period down 5-3, the Buffalo Sabres replaced Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen with Alex Lyon in net. The former came up big in Game 4 to even up the series, turning away 31 shots on the way to a 3-2 win at the Bell Centre, but was unable to sustain the success at home tonight. Lyon would go on to face three shots, allowing a power play tally from the blade of Ivan Demidov, putting the game out of reach. Head coach Lindy Ruff will have a decision to make for Saturday, their season on the line as they’ll try to force a Game 7 against a raucous crowd in Montreal. Only time will tell, however, based on how things went tonight it’s likely they’ll turn back to Lyon despite his short leash.
Transaction Notes: Ritchie, Panocha, Dubinsky
Former NHL forward Brett Ritchie has signed a contract for the 2026-27 season with Vlci Zilina, a club in the Slovakian Extraliga. The 32-year-old is a veteran of nearly 400 NHL games, playing in the league from 2014-15 through 2022-23. Ritchie last appeared in the NHL with the Arizona Coyotes, arriving there in a mid-season trade from the Calgary Flames. It was in that deal that Ritchie was actually traded for his brother, Nick Ritchie.
Since playing out 2022-23 with the Coyotes, Ritchie has continued his professional career in Europe. As most veteran NHLers who elect to try their hand in Europe do, Ritchie began in one of the continent’s top leagues: the KHL. He signed with Dynamo Minsk, but played in just 14 total games and scored just three points. The following year, he signed in Slovakia, but ended up splitting 2024-25 between that league and the German DEL. This past season, Ritchie began the year in Austria before transferring to Sheffield in the British EIHL, where he scored 12 goals and 22 points in 24 games.
Other notes on player movement from around the hockey world:
- Buffalo Sabres prospect Norwin Panocha has changed clubs, signing with the DEL’s Iserlohn Roosters. The 6’2″ defenseman was a seventh-round pick by Buffalo at the 2023 draft, selected out of Eisbären Berlin’s junior ranks. Panocha spent 2023-24 and 2024-25 split between three North American junior leagues, namely the QMJHL, WHL, and USHL. He split this past season between the DEL with Berlin and second-division DEL2 on loan to Lausitzer Füchse. Per PuckPedia, the Sabres hold the exclusive rights to sign Panocha through June 1 of next year, but it appears unlikely at this stage that he’ll earn an entry-level deal.
- The Laval Rocket announced yesterday that defenseman Aiden Dubinsky has been signed to a one-year AHL contract for next season. Dubinsky was playing on a tryout deal with the Rocket before their season ended at the hands of the Toronto Marlies in the AHL playoffs. The Rocket signed Dubinsky, 22, out of the University of Wisconsin. He skated in 39 games for the Badgers this past season, scoring six points.
Buffalo To Start Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen For Second Consecutive Game
- The Buffalo Sabres appear to be sticking with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen as their starting netminder for tonight’s crucial game five against the Montreal Canadiens, The Buffalo News’ Rachel Lenzi reported from morning skate today. The Sabres made the decision to swap Alex Lyon for Luukkonen after going down two games to one in Montreal, and Luukkonen rewarded them with a brilliant performance that allowed the team to return to Western New York with a tied series. Luukkonen actually began the postseason as Buffalo’s No. 1 but lost the role after two games in the first round against the Boston Bruins.
Evening Notes: Kraken, Manson, Sabres
The Seattle Kraken have partnered with sports advisory firm Sportsology to perform an assessment of their hockey operations department after parting ways with general manager Ron Francis, per Fox 13 Seattle. The firm will review the team’s organizational structure, communication and decision-making processes, player development, scouting, analytics, and more.
Sportsology has previously worked with the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, and Philadelphia Eagles. They also worked with the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and Washington Wizards. The Rams, Eagles, and Mavericks have each won championships in the last four years.
Seattle has had a, frankly, slow start to their franchise history. They have made one of a possible four postseasons and are already on their third head coach. More than that, Seattle has failed to lead top prospects Matty Beniers, Shane Wright, or Berkly Catton to their potential early in their careers. It is the perfect time to look for a spark, especially as Seattle sits tied up in a veteran-heavy roster.
Other notes from around the league:
- Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson was fined $5K by the NHL Department of Player Safety for butt-ending Minnesota Wild forward Michael McCarron in Game 4. Manson has missed the last four games with injury. He fills an important lineup role and will dodge any further absences with a fine, rather than a suspension. Manson recorded 31 points, 91 penalty minutes, and 174 shot blocks in 79 games during the regular season. He has added two points in four postseason games.
- The Buffalo Sabres are making some lineup changes after losing Game 3 against the Montreal Canadiens by a score of 2-6. Rookie center Konsta Helenius, defenseman Luke Schenn, and goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are in the lineup per Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic. Helenius could be a scoring spark vacated when Noah Ostlund sustained an injury. The 20-year-old Finn scored four points in the first nine games of his NHL career, and 62 points in 62 AHL games, this season. Luukkonen recorded 22 wins and a .910 save percentage in 35 games this season. Injuries held him back from the starting role, opening the door for a split with Alex Lyon who has started every game of the postseason so far. Their swaps could be difference-makers for the Sabres, while Schenn will look to bring another physical presence to the lineup.
Beck Malenstyn Fined
- Buffalo Sabres forward Beck Malenstyn was fined $3,515.63, the maximum allowable under the collective bargaining agreement, for goalie interference against Montreal Canadiens netminder Jakub Dobes. The play in question happened midway through the second period of last night’s game three. Malenstyn crashed the net hard and barrelled into Dobes, making seemingly little effort to avoid significant contact with the goalie. He was assessed a minor penalty on the play and Montreal scored on the ensuing power play to make it a 4-1 contest. Malenstyn, a physical fourth-line forward, scored 14 points in the regular season and led all Sabres players with 282 hits.
- Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj was fined $3,385.42, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for roughing Buffalo Sabres forward Sam Carrick. The play in question came at the end of the game, during a scrum. While the players were tussling, Xhekaj delivered a punch straight to Carrick’s head, dropping the veteran forward to the ice. The game was Carrick’s first in the lineup since March 31, as he was sidelined with an arm injury. Like Malenstyn, Xhekaj is one of his team’s most physical players, leading the Canadiens in hits this season with 178 in 65 games.
Sam Carrick Possible Return For Game 3
The Vegas Golden Knights will be without their captain tonight in Game 4 against Anaheim, as Mark Stone won’t play, to be replaced by Brandon Saad, noted by Jesse Granger of The Athletic.
It was apparent just yesterday that such was a possibility, as Stone left Game 3 early as a result of a non-contact lower-body injury. Averaging 19:26 so far in the playoffs, good for third among Vegas forwards, losing Stone for any extended period would have major implications in the remainder of the series, as the Ducks look to even things up at 2-2. A crucial piece of their power play, Stone, who turns 34 in just three days, has managed to play in all nine playoff games so far, coming away with seven points.
Despite never playing in more than 66 regular season games as a Knight, Stone has missed just one playoff game with the team. In 94 such appearances, always rising to the occasion, he has 79 points. Obviously taking a lot for the veteran to miss out in the spring, it raises real concerns on his status the rest of the way.
Another veteran with ample playoff experience (111 games), Saad is expected to slot into the third line, his first postseason action of the year. A two-time Stanley Cup champion and former standout scorer, the winger is now fully embracing an energy role under John Tortorella, with just nine points in 49 games this year. Invigorated by the opportunity, he’ll be one to watch as the group marches ahead without their leader, as few depth forwards have a resume as strong as his own.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Vegas’ opponents in Anaheim also have movement in regards to their captain, as Radko Gudas is a game-time decision to return, based on morning lines shared by Zach Cavanaugh of The Sporting Tribune. The soon-to-be 36-year-old hasn’t played since Game 1 against the Oilers in the opening round, dealing with a lower body injury. Assuming back into the fold, he’ll be in a third pairing deployment alongside rookie Tyson Hinds, who only made his NHL debut last month. It appears that Drew Helleson will step out of the lineup as a result, the 25-year-old righty skating in eight postseason games so far and coming away with one helper in limited usage. Helleson is thought to be dealing with an undisclosed injury.
- Knotted 1-1 in their series and headed into a hostile Montreal environment tonight for Game 3, the Buffalo Sabres might change things up among their bottom six forwards, observed by Bill Hoppe of The Times Herald. Head coach Lindy Ruff did not provide specifics, but trade deadline acquisition Sam Carrick looks likely to be suiting up after missing 15 games with an arm injury. It’s a nice update after initial thoughts that the 34-year-old had no shot at returning during the second round. Drafted back in 2010, Carrick has just 10 playoff games under his belt, coming as an Oiler two years ago. His nearly 55% faceoff win rate would be a welcome addition, the exact reason Buffalo surrendered third and sixth-round selections to the Rangers in March. If Carrick is good to go, it may bump out Tyson Kozak. The 23-year-old has provided spot-duty on the fourth line, bringing energy but winning a sub-par 43.3% on the dot across six playoff games.
Carrick Very Close To Return
- Sabres center Sam Carrick has gone from someone unlikely to play in the second round to being on the verge of a return. Speaking to reporters before last night’s game including Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald, head coach Lindy Ruff indicated that had this been an elimination game situation, Carrick probably would have played but instead, he opted to give the 34-year-old a bit more rest. With Buffalo losing last night and struggling at the faceoff dot, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Carrick and his 54.8% success rate on draws this season return to the lineup on Saturday.
Rasmus Dahlin, Cale Makar, Zach Werenski Named Norris Trophy Finalists
As part of revealing the finalists for major league awards, the NHL announced the Norris Trophy finalists today. According to a league announcement, Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres, Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche, and Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets are the three finalists to be named the “defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-around ability in the position.”
Although he’s earned multiple votes over the last three years, this is the first time that Dahlin, 26, has been named a finalist for the Norris Trophy. Throughout the first four years of his career, there were several questions regarding Dahlin, particularly if he was the top defenseman that the Sabres believed he would be when they drafted him.
Over the last four years, he has proven he is everything Buffalo hoped he would be, if not more. Since the beginning of the 2022-23 campaign, Dahlin has scored 71 goals and 274 points in 379 games, topping out with a 19-goal, 74-point performance this season. Additionally, he’s averaged nearly 25 minutes a night over that stretch, showing he can play in every situation comfortably. He’s physical, he blocks shots, he puts a ton of them on net, and he has captained the Sabres to the playoffs for the first time in 14 years.
Unlike Dahlin, Makar’s name has become synonymous with the Norris Trophy throughout his career. Throughout his career, Makar has been a finalist for the Norris Trophy six times, winning the award twice. Even when he wasn’t a finalist during his rookie campaign, he still finished top-10 in voting.
Still, it’s fair to argue that Makar took a step back offensively this season. After posting back-to-back 90-point campaigns in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, Makar dropped back to 20 goals and 79 points this season. Regardless, he sustained more than a point per game on average, blocked over 100 shots, finished with a +32 rating, and was the top defenseman on the top team in the league.
Meanwhile, Werenski finished as a Norris Trophy finalist for the second year in a row, at the very least. The Gross Pointe, MI native finished 22 goals and 81 points in 75 games, averaging over 26 minutes of ice time per night. Although he doesn’t block as many shots as Dahlin or Makar, and didn’t have a double-digit rating, Weresnki played in every situation and led the Blue Jackets in scoring by a 14-point margin, which is extremely uncommon for a defenseman.
Unfortunately, given that each of the finalists’ all-around game, it’s a toss-up who will ultimately come away with the award this season.
Although it’s difficult to argue either Dahlin, Makar, or Werenski out of being a finalist, there are a few other defensemen who easily could have found their way into the top three. Evan Bouchard of the Edmonton Oilers, who finished as the highest-scoring defenseman this season with 21 goals and 95 points in 82 games, has a case, as does Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens, who finished with 12 goals and 78 points in 82 games, with a +36 rating.
Latest On Sam Carrick, Noah Ostlund
5/4/26: The Sabres received some good news today regarding Carrick. Despite it being announced yesterday that he was expected to miss the team’s second-round playoff series, Carrick said today that he has progressed rapidly in his recovery and could be back on the ice in short order.
Ruff said that Carrick is “going to see our doctors today and thinks he’s further along than maybe I portrayed yesterday,” and that he could join our team back in practice tomorrow.”
It’s unclear whether Carrick is going to be ready in time for when the Sabres take on the Montreal Canadiens tomorrow night. But it’s looking increasingly likely that he will be able to play against Montreal at some point in the second round, especially if the series extends beyond the minimum of four games.
5/3/26: The Buffalo Sabres expect to be without centers Noah Ostlund and Sam Carrick for their upcoming second-round series, head coach Lindy Ruff announced today.
Carrick hasn’t played since March. He is sidelined with an upper-body injury, one he sustained in a fight with New York Islanders captain Anders Lee. Ostlund has been out since suffering his lower-body injury in game five against the Bruins.
This pair of injuries puts some strain on the Sabres’ center depth in advance of their series. The Sabres’ No. 4 center spot would typically be occupied by Carrick, but in his absence, the team has relied upon 23-year-old Tyson Kozak. Kozak is a hard-working, energetic player, but not someone who has the same level of experience or detail to his game when compared to Carrick. Carrick, 34, went to a Stanley Cup Final with the Edmonton Oilers and brings a level of reliability Kozak hasn’t yet established.
But while swapping out Carrick for Kozak is a downgrade in some respects, one could argue the loss of Ostlund is more significant. The 2022 first-rounder is one of Buffalo’s top prospects and showed flashes this season, scoring 11 goals and 27 points in 60 games. He even had his moments in the playoffs, scoring a goal and an assist in three games. Like Carrick, Ostlund is also a natural center.
As mentioned, while the Carrick injury has cost the Sabres a veteran fourth-line center, the real, more pressing risk posed by these absences is what would happen to the Sabres at the position if another center goes down.
No. 3 pivot Josh Norris is one of the team’s most talented players at the position, but has, unfortunately, been quite injury-prone in recent years. He missed three games in the first round due to an undisclosed injury, was limited to just 44 games in the regular season, and has reached 60 games played in a single campaign just once in his NHL career.
If Norris’ injury issues resurface in the second round (a series that is likely to be extremely physical given how the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens have competed their first-round series,) the Sabres could be left in a tough spot. They would potentially need to dress both Kozak and Josh Dunne or consider alternate options. Those options include shifting natural center Peyton Krebs back to the middle, breaking up a Tage Thompson line that has worked so well this year, or dressing talented rookie Konsta Helenius.
The options available to the Sabres if Norris or another center gets injured are not entirely ideal for a team looking to win a Stanley Cup. As a result, today’s two injury updates only further emphasize the importance of the health of Norris, Thompson, and Ryan McLeod for the Sabres.
Rasmus Dahlin, Gabriel Landeskog, Jonathan Toews Named Masterton Trophy Finalists
The NHL has announced its three finalists for the Bill Masterton Trophy: Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, Colorado Avalanche forward Gabriel Landeskog, and Winnipeg Jets forward Jonathan Toews.
The Trophy is awarded annually by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association to the player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to ice hockey.”
Dahlin captained the Sabres to a season fans in Buffalo won’t forget for a long time. The franchise had not made the postseason in 14 years, the longest playoff drought in the “Big 4” North American professional sports leagues.
Dahlin’s leadership, and stellar on-ice play, helped the Sabres become one of the league’s best teams over the course of 2025-26.
Dahlin was able to accomplish all of this despite immense off-ice challenges.
Last July, Dahlin’s fiancee, Carolina Matovac, underwent an emergency heart transplant while the pair were vacationing in France. She later revealed that the couple lost their unborn child as well. The Athletic’s Matthew Fairburn told Dahlin and Matovac’s story in an excellent piece last month. He noted that during the beginning of the season, Matovac’s recovery was weighing on Dahlin, and he “had trouble focusing” on the season.
Dahlin eventually stepped away from the team in November to be with his fiancee, a decision the entire Sabres organization emphatically supported. He told Fairburn:
The first part of the season was terrible. I could not think about anything else other than Carolina. Then Terry Pegula flew me home to Sweden to be able to see Carolina for a week, and it just gave me an unbelievable boost. Then I was able to go home during Christmas, and I’ve just been lucky to have the organization let me go home and do stuff I needed to do throughout this process. And things got better every day.
Dahlin did eventually return from his leave of absence, and when he did, he joined a Sabres team that was quickly becoming a juggernaut. He finished the season with 74 points in 77 games, and led Buffalo to victory over their first-round opponent, the Boston Bruins. His fiancee was even able to return to Buffalo and be welcomed back by an adoring home crowd.
Each nominee for the Masterton Trophy, every year it is awarded, is deserving in his own right. But the story of Dahlin’s 2025-26 season in particular embodies the core values of the award.
Moving on to Landeskog, this is actually the Avalanche captain’s second consecutive campaign as a finalist for the award. Landeskog missed three seasons as a result of knee injuries, coming directly after he led Colorado to a Stanley Cup championship in 2022.
Landeskog was productive for the Avalanche this season, scoring 35 points in 60 regular-season games, and five points in five playoff contests so far.
There are many athletes for whom missing three seasons would be an insurmountable, career-ending obstacle. There were those who, at times, speculated that might be the case for Landeskog. It did not. He is back in the NHL and his knee issues appear to be behind him, and the league is better for it.
The final nominee is Toews, the former Chicago Blackhawks star who captained the team to three Stanley Cup titles in the 2010’s. Toews’ story shares some similarities to Landeskog’s. He missed two full seasons as a result of a variety of health issues, including long Covid and Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS). Toews left the game unsure of whether he would be able to play again, and went to great lengths to pursue methods of recovery, including traveling to Asia for “a five-week Ayurvedic detox.”
Toews was able to return to the NHL, signing with his hometown Winnipeg Jets. He played in all 82 games of the Jets’ season, his first full, healthy NHL campaign since 2018-19. He scored 11 goals and 29 points while winning 62% of his faceoffs. Like Landeskog, he had no assurances he would be able to continue his storied NHL career, but he found a way to return to the game.
Photos courtesy of Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images