The Buffalo Sabres got down to 23 players on Monday by placing four players expected to be regulars on injured reserve, but unexpectedly plucked a goaltender off of the waiver wire. The Sabres placed goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, defensemen Michael Kesselring and Owen Power, and winger Jordan Greenway, along with minor leaguer Carson Meyer, and claimed goalie Colten Ellis from the St. Louis Blues.
The 25-year-old Ellis was a 2019 third round pick of the Blues and has spent all of his professional career in the ECHL and AHL. Last season, Ellis had an excellent campaign with St. Louisâ€s affiliate in Springfield, where he posted a 22-14-3 record, 2.63 GAA and .922 save percentage. The claim now gives the Sabres a third netminder, joining Alex Lyon and Alexandar Georgiev, which might be a indicator of the uncertainty of Luukkonenâ€s injury status.
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The Sabres will carry 14 forwards, six defensemen and three goalies to start the season, which gets underway for them against the NY Rangers on Thursday. With Power and Kesselring unavailable for at least seven days, the clubâ€s short-handed blueline will consist of Rasmus Dahlin, Bowen Bryam, Jacob Bryson, Ryan Johnson, Mattias Samuelsson, and Conor Timmins.
Up front, the only real surprise is the inclusion of enforcer Mason Geersten, who will likely be spotted in when the Sabres play a rough opponent. Greenway is making progress from his mid-body injury, so when he is cleared to play, GM Kevyn Adams will have to have to corresponding move to open up a spot on the roster.
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