The Buffalo Sabres find themselves at a crossroads of their own making. While there isn't a clear answer on how to fix their goaltending, it is undeniable that they have to trade Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Their chase of Connor Hellebuyck has put an unrealistic expectation on Luukkonen, and it is time for the two sides to get a fresh start.
For over four months now, the Sabres have been closely connected to Hellebuyck and while Jarmo Kekalainen and Lindy Ruff have made it clear they believe in Luukkonen, perception can be telling. The fact that the Sabres continue to be mentioned in reports about a potential landing spot for Hellebuyck means there is enough smoke to keep the topic front and center for anyone associated with the Sabres.
That was very clear in a recent discussion between Jeremy White and Paul Hamilton on WGR550. It was after Luukkonen gave up three goals to the Philadelphia Flyers, meaning he has now given up three or more in every start he has made this season.
The argument from Hamilton seems to be that Luukkonen is expected to stop every shot he faces, and Hellebuyck would have "10 shutouts at this point." The discourse has seemingly reached that point, and while there are issues with this team, there is no question that Luukkonen just hasn't played well enough.
According to MoneyPuck, Luukkonen has the sixth-worst goals saved above expected in 5v5 situations at -3.9. For the Sabres' goalie, it hasn't been all bad and he certainly has made some great saves but it just takes one goal for everything to fall apart. That is what happened on Thursday night as the Sabres fell behind 2-0 but got one back with Jason Zucker scoring on the power play. For the Sabres, it felt like they had the Flyers right where they wanted them, as they have been great in the third period.
However, Luukkonen let in a horrible goal that got the lead back to 3-1 for Philadelphia, and it seemed like all the air was let out of the KeyBank Center. The Sabres never really threatened to get back into the game with only one 5v5 scoring chance in the third period after having 19 in the first two periods, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Sabres cannot wait for Connor Hellebuyck to decide Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen's future
The common belief is that the Sabres will move Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen once they agree to a trade for Connor Hellebuyck. Unfortunately for Jarmo Kekalainen, this saga has dragged on so long that it is time for a fresh start for Luukkonen and the team, even if that means they might miss out on Hellebuyck.
There is some hope that Alex Lyon will be close to returning, and he will probably jump into being the starter when that time comes. However, hiding Luukkonen on the roster won't do anyone any good because it will be hard to ignore his performance to begin the season. It will take just one bad goal to say it's the same old Luukkonen.
If the Sabres were going to get Hellebuyck, they were going to need to move Luukkonen anyway. As much as they want to say he is going to be part of the future, the rumors have said otherwise and frankly Luukkonen's performance should give the team no confidence that he is the answer.
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