Coming this season: Linus Ullmark

Linus Ullmark shouldered a heavier workload than ever before in 2019-20, starting 18 of 20 games for the Sabres from Dec. 8 to Jan. 28 before a lower-body injury ultimately ended his season. (He was on track to return when the pandemic hit in March.)
The goaltender finished the abbreviated campaign having set career highs in wins (17) and save percentage (.915).
"When you put together a lot of games in a row and just play a lot of games, everything just kind of happens naturally just because you're in the flow of it all and there's no thought process behind every save or so," Ullmark said after signing a one-year contract in October.
Here is a look at the netminder entering 2020-21.

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One big question: How will goalies split the 56-game schedule?

NHL teams will be tasked with navigating a 56-game schedule condensed into just 113 days, essentially averaging out to a game every other day. Coaches will be left to determine how to best keep goaltenders fresh through the course of the season.
Sabres coach Ralph Krueger said he envisions each day beginning with an assessment of the group's health and stamina, including the goaltenders. That criteria will be weighed against recent performance to make decisions on a daily basis, with the caveat that the team would like to split back-to-backs whenever possible.
"Just a lot of internal communication on how we're going to move and it will be the same with the goalies," Krueger said. "We're going to take it a game at a time. If somebody gets hot here, they could get a few (in a row)."
Carter Hutton figures to be the primary option in net alongside Ullmark. Teams are also required to either keep a third goaltender on their active roster or their taxi squad.

Number to know: .926

That was Ullmark's save percentage at even strength last season, which ranked ninth in the NHL. All eight goaltenders who ranked ahead of him played for teams that made the expanded playoffs.
The area that hampered Ullmark and the Sabres was the penalty kill, where the goaltender ranked 52nd with a save percentage of .838. It will take a team effort to raise that number, one the team hopes will be aided through the additions of Tobias Rieder, Riley Sheahan, and Matt Irwin, among others.

Quotable

General manager Kevyn Adams speaking about Ullmark during the offseason: "I think Linus is really taken strides over the last couple of seasons. You know, when I first started in this role, one of the most important first conversations I had with the coaching staff was where are we in net, and the feeling. And I think everybody feels really good about the steps that Linus took last year, and we're excited about him."

Watch this

Brian Duff and Martin Biron broke down Ullmark's first practice of training camp last week.