BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — After spending the last two years with the Detroit Red Wings, veteran goaltender Alex Lyon has agreed to a two-year deal with the Buffalo Sabres. The contract has an average salary of $1.5M per season.
Lyon, 32, started 26 games for Detroit last season and finished with a 14-9-2 record. Last season, Lyon had nearly a career-best goals against average at 2.88 goals allowed per game, but saw his save percentage slip to .896 percent.
Lyon's largest workload in the NHL came in 2023-2024, starting 43 games for Detroit and finishing with a 21-18-5 record. While his time in Detroit was solid, Lyon's best stretch of hockey came the year prior in Florida, helping push the Panthers in the playoffs after a dominant late-season run.
One of Lyon's impressive wins during that stretch was against the Sabres, allowing just one goal in a huge game between the two teams. Buffalo went on to miss the playoffs while their division rivals won the Stanley Cup.
Lyon will likely serve as the Sabres' backup to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen heading into the 2025-2026 season.
Bove's Take:
I like this move for the Sabres because it doesn't force Devon Levi into a role he may or may not be ready for. Last year, the Sabres banked on Levi being ready to take on the workload of an NHL backup, and he wasn't. Making matters worse, Luukkonen took a big step back, and goaltending remained a concern for the Sabres for the majority of the season.
Lyon should be a trustworthy option who has shown he can hold down the fort for a few weeks at a time if needed.
This isn't a huge addition, but it's a solid one at a position I wasn't sure they'd address.
