Alex Lyon’s days with the Detroit Red Wings are likely over unless general manager Steve Yzerman shocks the fans by bringing him back. Lyon didn’t impress us enough to warrant another deal, and you can say the writing was on the wall the minute Yzerman acquired Petr Mrazek back in March.
So, Lyon will head somewhere else and fill in as the No. 2 netminder, and there’s a good chance the Red Wings and their fans will see him a few times next season. Maybe they’ll even play against him a few times if he lands with a division rival.
Below, I outlined three teams from the Atlantic Division that could end up signing Lyon to a cost-effective deal. Every team below either needs a netminder like Lyon, or they may end up needing one, depending on how transactions pan out.
Buffalo Sabres
James Reimer did an excellent job in spot duty last season, but he’s heading into his age-37 campaign. This may entice the Sabres to look for someone a little younger, like Lyon, who could factor in as the No. 2 behind Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen for a season until Devon Levi’s ready for the big club.
Should Levi make the Sabres lineup out of camp, Lyon could go on waivers and end up in Rochester if someone doesn’t snag him first. Ironically, this happened to Reimer, who went from the Sabres to the Ducks, before Anaheim waived him and he ended up back in Buffalo.
Could Lyon follow a similar path if he’s wearing a blue and gold sweater next season? Maybe. But there’s also a chance the Sabres want to keep Levi in the AHL full-time until the 2026-27 campaign.
Boston Bruins
While the Bruins got two goaltenders with multiple seasons left on their respective deals, there’s a chance they’ll trade Joonas Korpisalo. Korpisalo still has No. 1 or at least 1A potential, and he won’t get that chance in Massachusetts, so don’t be surprised if and when he’s wearing another uniform.
That would open up a No. 2 spot in Boston, meaning there’s a good chance Lyon exchanges the winged wheel for the spoked wheel. Should that happen, expect Lyon to enter and stay in a No. 2 role while incumbent starter Jeremy Swayman looks to put last season’s debacle behind him, despite putting up decent numbers.
Lyon would be a likely stopgap here, unless the Bruins want a steady veteran presence behind Swayman for a few seasons. That said, it wouldn’t surprise me if they signed Lyon to a multi-year deal.
Ottawa Senators
With Anton Forsberg also looking as though he’ll hit free agency, Lyon could sidle in behind a former Sabre and Bruin, Linus Ullmark. This may be the best place for Lyon, as there’s hardly a chance he’ll be in a timeshare role with Ullmark, whose presence catapulted the Ottawa Senators to the playoffs.
But, Ullmark’s no longer a young netminder, and there’s a chance his durability will backslide in upcoming seasons. Not that it’ll happen this year, but as Ullmark ages, the Sens will need a reliable netminder to pick up the slack.
While Lyon’s also not young, he’s more than capable of making between 25 and 35 appearances per season. Closer to 25 this year, and 35 in subsequent seasons should he sign something like a three-year deal for a fair price. This would also let the Sens develop a potential successor to Ullmark the right way.
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