Although Lyon is projected to start 2026-27 as Buffalo's No. 2 goaltender, he should play more than a typical understudy, per Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 on Wednesday.
Buffalo plans to split the goaltending duties rather than have firm starter and backup roles. Lyon posted a 20-10-4 record, a 2.77 GAA and a .906 save percentage in 36 regular-season appearances with Buffalo last year. It wouldn't be surprising to see him get a similar workload in 2026-27 while sharing the net primarily with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, and occasionally with Colten Ellis.