Sabres Camp Preview: Examining the competition in net

Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams set the stage for a position battle on the opening night of free agency, adding a pair of veteran goaltenders in Craig Anderson and Aaron Dell to replace the team's outgoing tandem of Linus Ullmark and Carter Hutton.
Anderson and Dell will compete for playing time with 22-year-old Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who returns for his third pro season in North America after playing four games with the Sabres in 2020-21. Dustin Tokarski also returns after appearing in 13 games with Buffalo.
"We're excited about the players we added there in net, and it also gives us the opportunity (for competition)," Adams said in July. "We don't want to box players out in any position. We want to make sure that guys like UPL, when they're ready, they have the opportunity, but we have competition there.
"… We'll see how it goes. It's going to be guys competing for a spot. That's what we'll see at training camp."
We'll be breaking down each position group in the days leading up to training camp, with players set to report to KeyBank Center on Wednesday. We start today with the goaltenders.

Craig Anderson

The Sabres signed Anderson to a one-year deal worth $750,000 on July 28. The 40-year-old only appeared in four regular-season games last season with Washington but was ready when called upon during the playoffs, posting a .929 save percentage in two games against Boston.
Anderson will compete for the crease at training camp, though he also plans to impart the lessons learned during an 18-year career on a young dressing room. His primary message: "Never be satisfied."
"It took me a while to figure that out, even down to summer workouts," Anderson said in August. "Are you doing enough or are you doing more than enough to make sure you're ready to go? If you're doing the bare minimum, that's what you're going to get.
"Unfortunately, a lot of guys play their careers just doing the bare minimum. Some guys can get away with it, some guys end up being career minor leaguers because of it. There's a great opportunity for a lot of young guys to come in and grab hold of a job here. If I can instill that mentality of never be satisfied, hopefully they have long careers."

Aaron Dell

Dell, 32, signed the same deal as Anderson - one year at $750,000 - on the opening day of free agency. He spent last season with the New Jersey Devils, posting a .857 save percentage in seven games. He had a .908 save percentage during four prior seasons with the San Jose Sharks.
Dell has been participating in informal skates with his Sabres teammates at LECOM Harborcenter since early September.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Luukkonen's climb through the ranks has been well-documented. The Sabres made him the second goalie off the board when they drafted him during the second round in 2017. He had an MVP season with OHL Sudbury in 2018-19 and was an All-Star with ECHL Cincinnati in 2019-20.
Luukkonen held the starting job in Rochester last season and got an introduction to the NHL in May, appearing in four games for Buffalo before he sustained a season-ending ankle injury. He made a strong first impression, posting 36 saves for the win in his debut against Boston and drawing praise from coach Don Granato for his demeanor.
Still, Adams reiterated that the organization will not rush the 22-year-old into a full-time role.
"I want to make it clear, we have no timeline on a young player like UPL," Adams said. "If we feel that he's ready to go, we don't want to hold him back. But everything has to be earned, so we're just going to see how that plays out."
Luukkonen's stint with the Sabres inspired him to spend the summer working on his mobility. He showed the fruits of his labor at the Prospects Challenge on Friday, where he made a sprawling 2-on-1 stop during a 22-save shutout against New Jersey.

"I think most of all it's just, being able to move better," Luukkonen said. "That's about it. All the position and everything like that will come as long as you can move. I think that was the biggest thing we worked on this summer."

Dustin Tokarski

Tokarski's long-awaited return to the NHL last season was necessitated by injuries to Ullmark and Hutton, but he proved to be a capable presence during his 13 outings. He posted a .904 save percentage and stopped 35-plus shots on four separate occasions.
The 32-year-old spent the three previous seasons in the AHL, winning the Calder Cup with Charlotte in 2019.