Since Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made his season debut a few weeks ago, the Buffalo Sabres have tried to do a three-goalie rotation. There seemingly hasn't been much rhyme or reason to how they set the rotation other than they go with the hot hand until they struggle and then they make a switch.
That type of rotation doesn't work because goalies can go long stretches without making an appearance and look rusty once it is their turn, as evidenced by Alex Lyon's last game when he allowed five goals against the New Jersey Devils after not playing for about two weeks.
At some point, and hopefully sooner rather than later, the Buffalo Sabres need to move one of their goalies. Recently, Elliotte Friedman was on The FAN Hockey Show and said that Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is the goalie to watch when it comes to trade rumors.
"They have a crowded crease. [Ukko-Pekka] Luukkonen has asked to play more, and he had a couple of good starts but had a rough one the other night. He gave up one that was not pretty, and he is the guy I am watching there."
At the time the podcast was recorded, which was on November 28th, Luukkonen was coming off a disappointing performance against the Pittsburgh Penguins, which is the game Friedman is referencing. He did bounce back in his next start against the Winnipeg Jets, where he stopped 23 of 24 shots, and he has had more good games than bad games as of late.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has always made the most sense as the goalie for the Buffalo Sabres to trade
Of the three goalies on the roster, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has made the most sense for the Buffalo Sabres to try and trade. He is a proven NHL goalie who when he is playing at his best, can be a difference maker for teams.
The problem is that he is wildly inconsistent and does have some injury concerns and already miss extended time twice, once during training camp and then again into the regular season.
Even with the concerns, Luukkonen probably brings back the best return as Colten Ellis is still unproven, although he has been great to begin the season, and Alex Lyon is probably not considered a starter but rather a really good backup at this point in his career.
The other reason that trading Luukkonen makes sense is the Sabres need to eventually clear a path for Devon Levi to get a shot in the NHL. Luukkonen has four years left on his contract after this season and as long as he is on the roster really blocks Levi from earning that starting job.
If the Sabres move forward with Ellis and Lyon as their goalies this season, it opens the door for Levi to spend training camp next season with Buffalo and make the case to the coaches he should be the starter moving forward.
It is worth noting that while it is painfully obvious that the Sabres need to make a move at the goalie position, the front office doesn't seem overly motivated to get a deal done. Earlier last week, Pierre LeBrun said that while Luukkonen's name is out there, he didn't believe the Sabres were actively trying to move him.
At this point it is anyone's guess how long the Buffalo Sabres stick with three goalies and it seems the speculation will only continue until a move is a made.