Veteran netminder Alex Lyon joined the Buffalo Sabres on a two-year, $3 million contract in free agency and appears set to serve as the backup to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen this season.

Despite Buffalo owning the NHL's longest active postseason drought at 14 years and counting, Lyon said he was drawn to the Sabres by the team's potential upside. 

“I’m really excited about the challenge and the opportunity,” Lyon said during a video conference with reporters. “I’ve been on the receiving end of some shellackings by the Sabres, here in the last few years, so I know how dangerous this team can be, and I love it. So, it’s an exciting time for me.” 

Lyon, 32, appeared in 30 games with the Detroit Red Wings last season, going 14-9-1 with an .896 save percentage and 2.81 goals-against average.

His new deal represents a raise after playing out a two-year, $1.8 million deal with an annual cap hit of $900,000. 

While a backup role likely awaits him, Lyon said he hopes to see plenty of playing time, but knows his role is also to support the 26-year-old Luukkonen.

“My aspiration is always to play as many games as possible, and win as many games as possible, and I think that’s a good mentality to have,” he said. “You have to be ultra-competitive in the goalie room, but also extremely supportive at the same time.

"It’s a really fine balance to strike, but that’s a strength, for sure, that I have.” 

The Sabres will try once again to end their playoff drought, which dates back to Lindy Ruff's previous tenure as head coach in 2011, but Lyon said he's prepared to handle any tough times that may come this season. 

“You can’t go into a season expecting it to be sunshine and rainbows the whole time,” Lyon said. “That has been a big learning curve for me, just understanding you’re going to have to go into battle 82 times, and that’s an extremely difficult thing to do. There’s going to be times when you feel really bad, and times when you feel really confident and staying on that even level is, really, the key to life.”