The changes with the Buffalo Sabres are not limited to swapping out former head coach Don Granato for Lindy Ruff, the buyout of Jeff Skinner, and a complete revamping of their third and fourth lines, the club’s AHL affiliate will likewise see some significant alterations.
Ruff’s promotion of Rochester head coach Seth Appert to his staff has former USHL bench boss Michael Leone taking his place with the Amerks, and he will have to deal with the departure of some from the organization, the addition of some new faces and reality that youngsters like Jiri Kulich may be ready to graduate to the NHL roster.
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The reshuffle of the Sabres organizational depth chart will be fascinating, especially between the pipes. Last season, the Amerks had five goalies: Devon Levi, Dustin Tokarski, Devin Cooley, Michael Houser, and Eric Comrie. This season, GM Kevyn Adams added veteran backup James Reimer and longtime Philadelphia farmhand Felix Sandstrom to the fold.
Levi led the club with 26 games and made all five starts in the first-round loss to Syracuse, Tokarski played 24 and is a free agent, Comrie split time between Buffalo and Rochester and signed with Winnipeg as an unrestricted free agent, Cooley was traded to San Jose at the deadline and signed a two-year deal with Calgary, and Houser remains with the club on an AHL deal.
The outlook of what Leone has to work with in goal will largely depend on what decisions Ruff makes with the Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 51 starts and was a workhorse in the second half last season, while Levi had some growing pains and was demoted in early January, but thrived with a heavy workload in Rochester.
If the Sabres decide to make Luukkonen their #1 and not more evenly split the workload, then it is possible that the 22-year-old Levi could start the season with the Amerks and have Reimer as the backup. The 36-year-old, who has played for five teams during his 14-year career, signed a one-year, one-way deal worth $1 million, which might enable him to get through waivers, but it could also play out as a repeat of the three-goalie scenario from last season if they choose not to send Levi down.
The 27-year-old Sandstrom seems to be slotted for the Tokarski role with the Amerks and is also capable of playing in the NHL in a pinch as he has for the Flyers the last three seasons.
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