Since the return of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen from his injury earlier this season, the Buffalo Sabres have tried to make this three-goalie rotation work. Not necessarily because they wanted three goalies, but rather each provided something to this team that they didn't want to lose by just waiving one.
However, as the season has progressed, it has become increasingly difficult to manage, but it felt like it was only a matter of time before a trade came to fruition, allowing Buffalo to at least secure something in return. Unfortunately, the Sabres once again were not decisive enough under general manager Kevyn Adams, and the Pittsburgh Penguins benefited on Friday with the trade of Tristan Jarry to the Edmonton Oilers.
The trade was a clear win for the Penguins as they traded a goalie in Jarry for goalie Stuart Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak and a second-round pick in the 2029 NHL Draft. They were able to get all this for a goalie that was placed on waivers last January and went unclaimed.
The draft pick is the big win here for Pittsburgh, but they also added two pieces in Skinner and Kulak that could help them win now. However, if they fall in the standings, they will be pieces that they could trade at the trade deadline to continue building for the future.
It doesn't seem like a hard sell for the Buffalo Sabres to trade Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to the Oilers
While this isn't to say that Kevyn Adams didn't try to make a trade with the Oilers for one of their goalies, that may never be reported, but the pieces involved raise the question of why it couldn't have worked. Tristan Jarry's AAV of $5.375 million is actually higher than Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen's at $4.75 million, according to Puckpedia.
There is no question that Jarry has been the better goalie so far this season, but Jarry is a perfect example of how much better a goalie can be with the team in front of him. Last season, the Penguins struggled, and Jarry's numbers struggled.
However, this season, Pittsburgh has been much better, and Jarry has been more productive. There is nothing to say that Luukkonen couldn't have a similar improvement on an Oilers team that has more talent than Buffalo.
When factoring these things in, combined with Luukkonen being four years younger than it doesn't seem like a hard sell to Edmonton when considering the return they sent to Pittsburgh.
Buffalo Sabres might not have solved goalie problem right away but would have been easier
The main reason for the Buffalo Sabres considering trading Luukkonen would have been to get down to a traditional two-goalie situation. If the Oilers required Skinner to be part of the trade package, it wouldn't solve the goalie problem right away.
However, Skinner is currently in the final year of his contract, and he is a much easier player to flip at the trade deadline. They may not even need to wait that long with teams like Montreal, who could be looking to improve the position.
The Buffalo Sabres have had to make some tough decisions with their roster as of late, like sending Noah Ostlund back down to Rochester, because of the goalie situation. Their inaction doesn't help the team on the ice, and they now have one less team that potentially could have been a trade partner.
It won't be easier moving forward to get a trade down, and their indecisiveness has cost them another chance to take a step forward as the franchise tries to turn its fortunes around. The Sabres have been rumored to be looking for changes, and this might not be the ultimate reason for a change in their front office, but it might be the last.