New York Rangers general manager Chris Drury is planning to methodically review the NHL goalie trade market after superstar goaltender Igor Shesterkin suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet used a Christmas simile on Thursday's edition of the 32 Thoughts podcast to describe the situation after Rangers goalie scout Scott Clemmensen appeared at Tuesday night's game between the Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens.
"What Drury's going to do is — he's gonna be like Santa Claus. He's making a list, he's checking it twice, he's gonna figure out who looks bad and who looks nice, right? And Clemmensen is gonna be his guy going out there to look at guys firsthand, and he was in Montreal-Buffalo, I assume to watch [Sabres netminder Ukko-Pekka] Luukkonen. We'll see what goes on there."NHL insider Elliotte Friedman
Luukkonen, who posted a .910 save percentage across 35 appearances last season, struggled mightily across his first three starts of the new campaign (.782 SV%). He's bounced back across his past few appearances, stopping 48 of 52 shots (.923 SV%) from the Habs and Florida Panthers.
UPL found his name in the rumor mill for much of the summer with the Sabres linked to a potential blockbuster trade for Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. That trade failed to materialize ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft, however, and the 27-year-old Finland native reportedly added the Jets to his five-team no-trade list after it went into effect at the start of the new league year.
The 6-foot-5 netminder has endured a roller-coaster tenure in Buffalo. His most complete campaign came in 2023-24 when he compiled a .910 SV% across 54 outings, but his performance immediately catered the following year (.887 SV% in 55 games).
It illustrates the complete lack of consistency he's been able to develop since arriving to the NHL in 2021. His combination of size and athleticism does make it feel like there's a true No. 1 goalie in there somewhere if his game-to-game impact can improve, though.
Dylan Garand (.951 SV% in four games) has given the Rangers stability in the crease since the Shesterkin injury, which gives Drury more time to evaluate his options. Struggles from Garand may have forced a panic trade, and those rarely work out well.
UPL, Connor Hellebuyck situations may be linked for the Sabres
It's unlikely Buffalo would carry Luukkonen and Hellebuyck on the same roster, especially since it also currently features Alex Lyon and Colten Ellis as options at the NHL level.
So, if UPL doesn't want to land in Winnipeg, Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen may have to get a little creative if he's starting to grow concerned about the team's poor goaltending early on and wants to circle back on a possible Hellebuyck.
In this case, that could mean a three-team trade involving the Sabres, Jets and Rangers, with Luukkonen heading to New York City to create space in Western New York for the three-time Vezina Trophy winner.
Other pieces would be involved, of course. More assets, potential a prized prospect like Radim Mrtka and/or the club's first-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft, would have to go from Buffalo to Winnipeg to help balance the sides.
That said, the general idea could work and it may be the only path forward at the moment for Kekalainen since Lyon remains sidelined by injury and he'll be hesitant to give up on Ellis since he chose the former St. Louis Blues prospect over Devon Levi at the team's No. 3 option. Levi was traded to the Edmonton Oilers, where he's now making a strong push for the starting job.
While it's possible something could come together quickly, particularly since Hellebuyck and the Jets would love an acceptable resolution in the near future, the situation could fade quickly if Drury doesn't believe Luukkonen would provide a meaningful boost.
The Sabres are back in action Thursday night when they visit Scotiabank Arena to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs. Another Clemmensen appearance would add fuel to the fire.
It doesn't sound like a trade is imminent, though.
Add us as a preferred source on Google