In the last bit of roster cuts, St. Louis Blues goaltending prospect Colten Ellis was placed on waivers. In a surprising move, the Buffalo Sabres picked up the young up-and-comer, shocking Blues fans and even General Manager Doug Armstrong.
Doug Armstrong said he was "somewhat surprised" to lose Colten Ellis on waivers. "Only because he doesn't have that NHL resume. ... He's progressed very well. When I called him yesterday, I said, 'I'm really happy for you and really disappointed for the organization.'" #stlblues
— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) October 7, 2025
Getting an oppotrunity?
To coincide with that move, the Sabres also waived Alexandar Georgiev. Should he pass waivers, he will be assigned to their AHL club, giving Ellis a chance to back up Alex Lyon. This is the opportunity he has been waiting for, as he has been the Blues third-best goaltender for a while now.
Currently, there is talks that he could get some playtime in the first couple of games of the season. There is a potential for a goaltending battle at the start of the season and the former Blues goalie might win it outright.
It is nice to see him get the chance, but it could be a detriment for the Blues. They might have let their next franchise goaltender walk for absolutely nothing.
One that got away?
The Blues might one day regret letting Ellis go for two reasons. One, he could have stuck around for the eventual retirement or trade of starting goaltender Jordan Binnington, which would have sparked a goaltending duel between Ellis and Joel Hofer. And, second, Ellis could be an absolute stud for Buffalo, and they got rid of him with nothing in return.
In the current state of things, Binnington has a long way to go before getting to that point of conclusion. But, outside of Ellis, the rest of the goaltending prospects are not really much to write home about. With time, that can change, but there is a risk.
Only time will tell how this story plays out. The Blues and Sabres face off against each other on November 6. Let's see if this can come full-circle or not.