Alex Lyon lasted 18 minutes Thursday night before the Buffalo Sabres lost their veteran goalie to a shoulder problem against the Detroit Red Wings.
He'd allowed one goal on eight shots. Then he reached for a loose puck in the first period, got back up, and went straight to the bench.
What came next should worry Buffalo more. According to WGR 550's Brayton J. Wilson, Lyon immediately told staff it was a shoulder issue he'd already been dealing with.
Bad luck would be a brand new injury. A shoulder that keeps talking back one week before the opener in Columbus is something Lindy Ruff has to plan around.
Colten Ellis took over the crease for the rest of the night. And the calendar offers no breathing room, with a five-game homestand right after that October 1 road date.
The clip is short and uncomfortable to watch. Lyon stretches out for the puck, pushes himself back to his feet, and heads for the bench clearly in discomfort.
-
Lyon's shoulder puts Jarmo Kekalainen's goalie depth to the test
The 2025-26 season shows why Buffalo needs him upright. He went 20-10-4 across 36 regular-season appearances.
His .907 save percentage came with three shutouts. Solid work for a goalie who spent parts of seven seasons riding AHL buses.
He carried that into the spring, going 4-3 with a 2.59 GAA in 10 playoff games as the Sabres reached the second round.
Career-wise, he's 71-48-15 over 149 NHL games spread across five organizations. That's a journeyman résumé carrying starter-level stakes right now.
He's also a bargain. Lyon carries a $1,500,000 cap hit in the final year of his deal before unrestricted free agency.
At his age, a shoulder that keeps flaring up is a check-engine light that goes dark after a restart. You can keep driving, but nobody fully trusts the dashboard again.
If Buffalo knew this shoulder was an issue coming into camp, banking on a 33-year-old goalie to hold up through 82 games was a bad gamble by Jarmo Kekalainen.
So how hard can Ruff lean on him now? Ellis got an unexpected audition Thursday, and every preseason rep he takes suddenly matters a lot more.
Buffalo hosts Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon. Whether Lyon is anywhere near that crease will tell you how worried the Sabres really are.
-
Should the Sabres go find another veteran goalie before opening night in Columbus?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Dylan Larkin has reportedly made his choice regarding involving the Montreal Canadiens
