Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said they hope goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen won't miss much time as the team opens 2025 training camp but uncertainty remains as the medical staff continues to review his lower-body injury.
"He's kind of in that day-to-day mode. It could be a little longer," Adams told reporters. "We'll know, probably, more over the next few days exactly where he's at. But it's encouraging over, I'd say, the last three or four days."
It's an unfortunate situation for UPL, who's aiming to bounce back from a miserable 2024-25 season that caused his league-wide stock to drop considerably.
Paul Pidutti of Daily Faceoff just released his ranking of the NHL's top 30 goalies, and Luukkonen failed to crack the list. That would have been hard to believe after UPL posted a .910 save percentage two years ago but that number dropped to .887 last season.
The Buffalo Sabres' season may hinge on the health of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, and whether UPL can return to peak form
NHL goaltender is one of the toughest positions to forecast in all of sports, and Luukkonen is a perfect example of that year-to-year mystery.
UPL looked like a star on the rise in 2023-24 when he compiled a 2.57 goals against average with 34 quality starts and five shutouts in 54 games (51 starts). Buffalo rewarded him with a five-year, $23.75 million contract extension in the subsequent offseason.
His play wasn't anywhere near that same standard last season, though. His GAA skyrocketed to 3.20 and he racked up just two shutouts in 55 appearances. He finished 71st out of 72 NHL goalies who played at least 600 minutes last year in goals saved above average (-20), per Natural Stat Trick.
Those numbers help explain why he didn't he make the top 30 NHL goalies list from Daily Faceoff.
Just as worrisome for the Sabres is the fact Alexandar Georgiev, who they recently signed as insurance in case Luukkonen misses time, was 72nd on the list (-33.3 GSAA).
The lack of a season-to-season correlation in goaltending play means it's not guaranteed those netminders struggle that much again in 2025-26, but it also can't be ruled out. Alex Lyon and prospect Devon Levi are Buffalo's other options between the pipes.
In UPL's case, arriving to training camp already dealing with an injury doesn't help his cause. At minimum, it'll force him to miss some low-pressure practices that could have helped him get back up to speed ahead of the new campaign.
It's possible the rest of the Sabres roster does take a step forward this season — the defense is deeper than it's been in years, Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin are at the peak of their powers and players like Owen Power and Zach Benson are primed for major breakthroughs — but poor play from their goalies could still destroy the season.
Luukkonen represents Buffalo's best chance at getting above-average play in net, but the longer his injury lingers, the less likely it is he'll be ready for the team's Oct. 9 season-opening clash with the New York Rangers at the KeyBank Center.
So, the Sabres goaltending situation is one to monitor closely over the next few weeks.