3 questions facing Buffalo Sabres

NHL.com is providing in-depth roster, prospect and fantasy analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 1-Sept. 1. Today, three important questions facing the Buffalo Sabres.

1. Can the inexperience in goal handle the load?

The three goalies on the Sabres' roster have combined for 100 NHL games of experience, with 21-year-old Devon Levi (7) and 24-year-old Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (46) making up just over half of that total. Eric Comrie, 28, has played 47 games.

Levi was 5-2-0 with a 2.94 goals-against average and .905 save percentage in seven NHL games after leaving Northeastern. Luukkonen (17-11-4, 3.61 GAA, .892 save percentage) was recalled from Rochester of the American Hockey League in mid-November when Comrie was injured and remained in the NHL the rest of the season, winning 12 games through December and January.

Comrie returned Jan. 10 after he was sidelined seven weeks by a lower-body injury, but played eight games over the final three months. He finished 9-9-1 with a 3.67 GAA, .886 save percentage and one shutout.

The Sabres allowed the seventh-most shots against (33.0) per game and seventh-most goals per game (3.62) last season.

"I'm really excited about the goaltenders we have," general manager Kevyn Adams said. "I'm happy to go into the season the way we sit right now. I'm comfortable with that. … We felt that the back end especially, if we were able to get deeper and get six, eight guys that are really solid NHL players that now it's also going to insulate your goaltending a bit. It's going to make your team a little bit stingier defensively."

2. How will the players handle raised expectations?

The Sabres opened eyes with their Stanley Cup Playoff push last season, going 9-2-1 in their final 12 games and finishing one point shy of the second wild card from the Eastern Conference. That run stemmed from the group learning from their struggles earlier in the season.

Individually, many are coming off NHL career highs. Tage Thompson's 94 points (47 goals, 47 assists) led Buffalo, followed by Jeff Skinner (82 points; 35 goals, 47 assists), Alex Tuch (79 points; 36 goals, 43 assists), Rasmus Dahlin (73 points; 15 goals, 58 assists) and Dylan Cozens (68 points; 31 goals, 37 assists).

3. How will they settle competition at defenseman?

The additions of Erik Johnson and Connor Clifton give the Sabres nine defensemen. Last season, injuries took a toll and struggles among the bottom three led coach Don Granato to lean even more on Dahlin, Owen Power and Mattias Samuelsson late in games. If the group stays relatively healthy, there will be a battle among Henri Jokiharju, Ilya Lyubushkin, Riley Stillman and Jacob Bryson. Each saw regular playing time in the top six last season and could find themself on the outside looking in.