Kevin Allen: It's late September: Do you know who your 2020-21 goalie is? Hockey Buzz writers and guests predict where goaltenders will land this offseason.

How is Howard an upgrade for the Sabres team desperate to make the playoffs? Reduced payroll or not goaltending is a priority for us.

It's fair to question Howard who had a miserable 2019-20 season. But he played well the two previous seasons. How much of last season was how poor the Red Wings are and how much was Howard? I think Buffalo will shoot for better than Howard. But the question is whether they can attract a top free agent or whether they are willing to pay for one. Are the Sabres going to cut payroll? That decision will also impact who they land. Howard will be cheap. In the case of the Sabres, "different" might be synonymous with better.

Hi Kevin, thank you for the response. I agree it could have been a terrible season on a challenging circumstance. They Sabre's maybe in fact cutting payroll, but they are not in a vaccum as I see the majority of teams will not be spending to the cap and at least half of the in similar budget to Buffalo's in the $70-75 million range. Given the importance of making the playoffs not only for the sake of the fanbase but more importantly the captain, Jack Eichel, I think we can see a more concerted effort to bring in a credible netminder that can breed confidence into sustainable sucess. Given the plethora of options in a saturated market bringing a goalie on the tail end of his career optically will not work. I am not suggesting the Sabres will overpay and bring in Holtby or the top end, but someone that can satisfy salary and perception. My thought would be MAF at a reduced salary for Carter Hutton. Seems like a good fit from the outside and a similar circumstance when he first went to Vegas, but he controls his destiny for sure. We have already been burned trading a 1st for a goalie to no one will tolerate paying that price again, but a 2021 second may be plausible for Kuemper given his heroic performances. It's a great time of year to be a fan and the make or break time for GMs.