The Detroit Red Wings will have to contend with Colten Ellis when they face the Sabres on Wednesday night. Ellis is getting the starting nod over former Red Wing, Alex Lyon, despite the thankless job he has done backstopping for the Sabres.
Through six games, Lyon has an impeccable 2.55 GAA, a shutout, and 0.924 save percentage despite his 2-4 record with the Sabres while filling in for the injured Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. He has earned a break, so the Red Wings, who are heading into the "easy part" of their October schedule, cannot underestimate this incoming rookie goaltender.
Over the past two seasons, Ellis made strides with the St. Louis Blues' AHL and ECHL affiliates, the Springfield Thunderbirds and Orlando Solar Bears. In 2024-25, he played exclusively for the Thunderbirds, racking up a 2.63 GAA, three shutouts, a 0.922 save percentage, and 22 wins, showing that he was more than capable of playing in the NHL. The Blues drafted Ellis in the third round back in 2019, and he spent the last six seasons developing.
Detroit Red Wings can't go easy on Colten Ellis
Riding a five-game winning streak and leading the Atlantic Division alongside the Montreal Canadiens, the Wings are a team that has beaten some of the best in the NHL. Couple that with the fact that a rookie is making his NHL debut in the net, and there's even more of a reason to chalk this one up as a guaranteed win.
But the Wings can't go into the game with that mentality. Ellis spent the 2025 training camp and preseason with the St. Louis Blues, but, despite his upside, there was no way he was beating out Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer, who are one of the NHL's more dynamic duos at goaltender.
Colten Ellis was going play NHL minutes somewhere in 2025-26
Ellis was auditioning for 31 other franchises, and the Sabres jumped at the opportunity when the Blues predictably put him on waivers. Plus, claiming Ellis showed that the Sabres had more faith in him than the likes of Alexandar Georgiev or Devon Levi, neither of whom seems to be the future in the Sabres' net.
So, Ellis deserved an opportunity to start somewhere and even potentially factor in as a future No. 1 netminder. Given the Sabres' struggles at goaltender over the past decade, they were a natural fit for Ellis, and it goes without saying he will seize this opportunity and make the most of it.
For the Red Wings, this means treating Ellis like a veteran goaltender capable of winning the Vezina Trophy. Because if they play down to him and the Sabres, they will learn a valuable lesson in letting their guard down for what you could call a "trap game."