BUFFALO – The Sabres’ crease is getting crowded.
The team on Monday added its fourth goalie, claiming Colten Ellis, 25, off waivers from the St. Louis Blues.
Ellis, who has never played in the NHL, joins Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon and Alexandar Georgiev in Buffalo.
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said on Monday that Luukkonen, who has been sidelined by a lower-body injury, won’t be ready for Thursday’s season opener against the New York Rangers.
When he was asked what he liked about Lyon and Georgiev in training camp, Ruff said the Sabres were “still evaluating.”
“They both, I thought, made great saves at times,” he said following Monday’s practice in KeyBank Center. “Probably both of them would like a couple different goals back at times.”
About an hour later, the Sabres claimed the 6-foot-1, 191-pound Ellis.
Ruff likely wants rookie’s arrival to light a fire underneath Lyon and Georgiev, who posted a 4.17 goals-against average and an .872 save percentage in four preseason games.
More on that surprising move later.
Shortly after adding Ellis, the Sabres reached the 23-man regular-season roster limit by placing Luukkonen, forwards Jordan Greenway and Carson Meyer and defensemen Michael Kesselring and Owen Power on injured reserve.
The roster features 14 forwards, six defensemen and three goalies.
Winger Zach Benson (undisclosed) and defenseman Mattias Samuelsson (upper body), both of whom recently missed time, returned to practice Monday. Samuelsson wore a non-contact jersey.
Both players got through the session without any issues. Samuelsson believes he could play possibly play Thursday.
Meanwhile, Ruff said Greenway (mid-body) and Power (strain) both skated on their own Monday.
As players become healthy, the Sabres could have to make some difficult roster decisions.
Most teams, of course, don’t carry three goalies. In the recent past, however, the Sabres have often kept an extra one.
Ellis has compiled a 30-26-5 record with a 2.82 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage in 64 career games with the Springfield Thunderbirds, the Blues’ AHL affiliate.
He enjoyed a strong season last year, registering a 22-14-3 mark with a 2.63 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage in 42 games.
The Blues drafted him in the third round in 2019, 93rd overall. He has spent much of his career in the ECHL.
The Sabres also have goalie prospects Devon Levi, Topias Leinonen and Scott Ratzlaff in the minors. Seven netminders in the organization have NHL contracts.
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Over the weekend, the Sabres waived center Josh Dunne and sent four prospects – forward Noah Ostlund and defensemen Radim Mrtka, Vsevolod Komarov and Zachary Metsa – to the Rochester Americans.
Dunne cleared Monday and was sent to the AHL.
Mrtka, the ninth overall pick this year, enjoyed a strong preseason, compiling one goal and two points in four games.
The Czech, 18, spent most of last season with the junior Seattle Thunderbirds after beginning the year playing pro hockey at home.
Most Canadian Hockey League players can’t play regularly in the AHL until they’re 20. Mrtka, however, was loaned to Seattle, making him eligible.