3 dynamic offseason moves that will end the Sabres playoff drought next season

Lock up Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen long-term

Over the past two seasons, we have seen the Sabres lock up franchise players like Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Tage Thompson, Mattias Samuelsson, and Dylan Cozens to long-term extensions. Now that Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has proven himself, it’s time to sign him to a deal.

Luukkonen may not have played well a season ago, and you can even argue he didn’t start playing great hockey until 2023 faded into 2024, but you don’t let a productive goaltender like this go. Sure, you can argue that Luukkonen has only enjoyed a good half-season and Adams should sign him to a bridge deal, but that half-season has been sensational - sans the eight goals he allowed last night that you can argue weren't all on him - with Luukkonen giving the Sabres a 0.930 save percentage and four shutouts. 

While Devon Levi could still be the favorite in the eyes of many Sabres fans, this is one of those “don’t fix if it isn’t broken” situations. We don’t know if Levi will be a franchise goaltender for the Sabres, but we know what Luukkonen can do. 

So extend the proven product long-term and add yet another piece to your young core that will be in town until the end of the decade. This is a guy who never once let adversity get him down, even when it should have, and that’s a testament to Luukkonen.