The Buffalo Sabres have added some goaltending depth to their organization. The organization announced it has signed netminder Scott Ratzlaff to a three-year, entry-level contract although he is unlikely to play with the organization this season.
Buffalo drafted Ratzlaff with the 141st overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft and his development in the WHL has exceeded expectations. The young netminder finished last season with a 21-26-1 record, a .905 save percentage and a 3.33 goals against average in 52 games with the Seattle Thunderbirds, but has gotten off to a torrid start this year.
He has a 3-0-0 record through the Thunderbirds’ first three contests with an impressive .933 save percentage. His strong start to the 2024-25 WHL season comes after a solid preseason with the Sabres where he secured a 1.000 save percentage in two games with 10 saves against the Pittsburgh Penguins and 20 saves against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The rookie head coach for the AHL’s Rochester Americans, Michael Leone, was enthusiastic about Ratzlaff’s preseason performance saying in a statement, “He’s been great. He did a really good job controlling pucks. We had a lot of defensive-zone faceoffs and he made sure we didn’t face a lot of second and third chances. He’s a young kid and this is a big moment for him. For him and his development, it’s only going to be good for him to move on and take confidence from this experience with him as he continues to progress“.
