The Buffalo Sabres found themselves at the center of the Connor Hellebuyck trade rumors all summer but, with the 2026-27 NHL season about to begin, they're trending toward another season with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen as their No. 1 goaltender.
UPL has put together some promising stretches over the past four years in Buffalo, including a .909 save percentage across 35 appearances last season, but he's never been able to fully establish himself as the club's unquestioned starter in the crease.
An anonymous NHL coach told Jesse Granger of The Athletic he's not sure Luukkonen will ever become the clear top dog on the Sabres' goalie depth chart.
"He's got talent, and could be more, but he's probably best set being a tandem goalie, and probably the 1B of one. I don't think he's done enough to become the man there."Unnamed NHL coach to The Athletic
The comments came as part of The Athletic's ranking of NHL goalies ahead of the new season. UPL finished in a tie for 26th. Alex Lyon was tied for 39th and Colten Ellis didn't crack the top 45.
As a trio, that group actually performed quite well during the regular season last year as Buffalo finished third in the league in cumulative save percentage. Neither Luukkonen nor Lyon managed to hold down the starting role during the team's playoff run, though.
That's why the Sabres became an obvious landing spot for Hellebuyck — speculation suggested the Sabres and Winnipeg Jets were close to an agreement before the 2026 NHL Draft in late June — but, at least so far, a deal has remained out of reach.
It's always possible things change in the blink of an eye, though. Luukkonen and Lyon both left their final preseason appearance with an injury, and their status is unclear ahead of Thursday night's season opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Hellebuyck has also remained away from the Jets since being suspended for failing the report for the start of training camp. Winnipeg general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has so far held firm on his sky-high asking price, but it's possible the start of the campaign changes his stance.
If so, Buffalo still makes the most sense on paper for the three-time Vezina Trophy winner.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is running out of chances to emerge as a true No. 1 goalie
Whether it's in Buffalo, Winnipeg or elsewhere, UPL probably isn't going to receive many more opportunities to become a 55-start netminder in the NHL.
Luukkonen played at that high level for one year, when he posted a .910 SV% in 54 games during the 2023-24 season, and former Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams immediately rewarded him with a five-year contract extension, which still has three years remaining.
The 27-year-old Finland native's performance immediately dropped off dramatically, however, has he compiled a career-worst .887 SV% in 2024-25.
That's really been the story of UPL's career since Buffalo selected him with the No. 54 overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. Stretches of terrific goaltending where he looks like a true game-changing asset followed by a dip in form that makes him borderline unplayable.
Goalies do tend to peak a little later than forwards and defensemen, so there's still reason for optimism, especially since the 6-foot-5 netminder still has less than 200 NHL appearances under his belt. Just for comparison's sake, Hellebuyck has nearly 700 when counting his playoff games.
Luukkonen has the size and athleticism goalie coaches dream about, but his frustratingly lack of consistency has held him back. Will that ever change?
Two numbers from HockeyStats.com stand out: UPL ranks in the 18th percentile of NHL goaltenders in stopping low-danger shots and in the 20th percentile of bad starts. Those numbers match the eye test. He gives up too many stoppable goals, and there's too many clunkers mixed in with his good games.
The talent is there but there's no guarantee he's ever going to put it all together for an extended stretch (multiple seasons).
It leaves Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen in a situation where the Hellebuyck situation will continue to linger over his head, at least until the Jets find a solution to that drama.
If Kekalainen does trade for the 2025 Hart Trophy winner and Buffalo takes a step back this season, a result that would likely include a dip in performance between the pipes, there will be serious questions about why he wasn't more aggressive on the trade market.
That said, if Luukkonen can finally produce a long-awaited true breakthrough, the Sabres GM will look like a genius for sticking with the Finnish netminder.
One way or another, it's a storyline has will have a massive effect on the team's fortunes in 2026-27.
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