Camp Preview: Hutton and Ullmark form new goalie tandem

Buffalo Sabres general manager Jason Botterill has worked to reshape his team's roster this offseason. The changes up and down the lineup might be most apparent in goal.
The Sabres will usher in a new era between the pipes this season as Carter Hutton and Linus Ullmark form a new tandem that will compete for playing time.
For Hutton, this is the opportunity he's been waiting for.

After spending parts of four years in the Flyers, Sharks and Blackhawks organizations, Hutton served as Pekka Rinne's backup in Nashville for three seasons before moving on to St. Louis in 2016.
Hutton made the most of his chance, starting the 2017-18 season 4-0-0 and then winning seven of nine games between Jan. 16 and Feb. 8. A 1-0 win over the Sabres on Feb. 3 was a highlight during that stretch, one of three shutouts Hutton posted last season.
He finished the year with career numbers. A 17-7-3 record. A 2.09 goals-against average. And a .931 save percentage. His GAA and save percentage were the best in the league.
Camp Previews: Eichel looking to build on strong finish | Skinner and Sheary to help improve even-strength scoring | Duffer on expectations for Dahlin | Other rookies to watch
"I got to play last year, that's probably the easiest way to put it," Hutton said in July after signing a three-year deal with Buffalo. "…Last year, it got to a point where I was playing so well, I kind of forced their hand a bit and I was able to run with it a bit more, which I think really helped me to stay more in a rhythm and just play more important games."
Hutton, 32, was widely considered the top free agent goalie available.
"There was a real comfort level with him," Botterill said. "He was a guy our scouts had focused in on, our analytics department certainly liked him a lot, and then you get the character check, it allowed us to have a lot of confidence in making the decision to bring Carter into our group."

Sabres goalie coach Andrew Allen first met Hutton when they were both with the Blackhawks organization in 2011. Allen was the developmental goalie coach working with the Rockford IceHogs and Hutton was splitting time between the AHL and ECHL.
"Watching him play the last few years, I see his continued progression of being under control and well-positioned. The biggest difference I see now is his confidence level in the NHL," Allen told Sabres.com this summer. "He has earned his minutes year after year, showing his coaches they can play him in all situations against any team.
"…Carter is a great fit for our young Sabres team. Our team is in an exciting building stage and Carter will bring character, experience and the ability to win games to our group, all the while competing to continue to earn his starts both in practice and through game results."

'A big year' for Ullmark

The Sabres organization has taken a patient approach to developing Ullmark, who just turned 25.
He was a sixth-round pick in the 2012 NHL Draft and has spent the past three seasons in North America. He made his NHL debut back on Oct. 24, 2015 and played 20 games for Buffalo that season. Over the last two seasons, he's been a workhorse for the Rochester Americans and was voted Most Valuable Player two years in a row by his Amerks teammates.
The 6-foot-4, 221-pound Swede went 21-12-10 record with two shutouts in 44 games last year, his second straight 20-win season.
Now, he'll be given the chance to carve out a full-time role in the NHL.

Allen called Hutton an "ideal partner" for Ullmark, and Hutton seems prepared to serve as both a competitor for playing time and a mentor.
"What's been expressed to me is, I think they want to kind of protect him in the sense that it's going to be a big year for him," Hutton said. "He's a young kid coming up. Playing full time in the AHL is a lot different than playing full time in the NHL.
"I think you just don't want to make any mistakes rushing him. They know that he's their guy, he's the future, they have a lot of faith in them. So, I think my role coming in is [to] play well, step in and help the team win hockey games right away."

Organizational depth

While Hutton and Ullmark should see the bulk of the NHL action this season, they'll be supported by some experienced players in the minors.
The Sabres signed Scott Wedgewood to a one-year, two-way deal to be the Rochester Americans starting goaltender.
"Trying to find a competitive environment, you have to have a strong No. 3 within the organization," Botterill said on the day of the signing. "You look at Scott's background, what he's accomplished in the American Hockey League, and then especially this past season, getting more NHL experience, we felt it was great to have a goalie with NHL experience to come into that role. But also, too, with his age, we feel that there's growth there.
"A couple years ago, he had some injury issues. He's now healthy and I think as Carter Hutton demonstrates, goalies are always developing and sometimes it takes a little bit longer for them. We certainly see more potential in Scott moving forward."
Wedgewood, 26, has posted a .908 save percentage and a 2.38 goals-against average in 116 career NHL games. Last year, he appeared in a career-high 20 NHL games with the Coyotes.
He will be joined by Adam Wilcox in Rochester. Wilcox was Ullmark's backup last year with the Amerks and signed a one-year AHL contract this summer.
Jonas Johansson, Buffalo's third-round pick in 2014, and Hayden Stewart are expected to man the net for the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL. Stewart is on an ECHL contract.
The Sabres also have Ukko-Pekka Lukkonen (2017, second round) in the pipeline. He will move over from Finland to play for the OHL's Sudbury Wolves this season. He signed a three-year, entry-level contract in June.