Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was on standby for Team Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February, but saw no action. Still, it foreshadowed that he would be among the favorites to land a spot with Finland for the 2026 Winter Olympics, but that opportunity may be slipping from his grasp.
In his 32 Thoughts column last week, Elliotte Friedman wrote, "I’ve talked quite a bit about Buffalo’s goalie situation, because there are a lot of bodies. The thing I can see becoming an issue here is if Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen feels the cluttered crease costs him a shot at the Olympics. He’s only played four games. He has to be better, too."
Luukkonen has struggled with injuries, and that's one major reason the Sabres' goaltending room is so crowded with names like Alex Lyon and Colten Ellis competing with Luukkonen for playing time. That situation has held Luukkonen to just five starts and six games, where he garnered a 0.897 save percentage, a 2.68 GAA, and a 0.4 quality starts percentage.
For someone who just two seasons ago looked like the future of the Sabres' net, Luukkonen is looking more like an afterthought. So don't expect the endless competition for time in the crease to stop in Buffalo anytime soon. Luukkonen has his work cut out for him, and he needs to make the most of his starts if he plans on earning strong consideration for a spot on Team Finland's roster.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen's competition to man the net for Team Finland is fierce
Juuse Saros is the clear-cut favorite to be the number-one netminder in Milan. Despite posting a below-average 0.896 save percentage, Saros has a 2.85 GAA and a 0.529 quality starts percentage for what is once again a terrible Nashville Predators team. Unlike Luukkonen, Saros has the net almost all to himself, with 17 starts so far.
Kevin Lankinen is also giving Luukkonen some serious competition. He may have a 3.63 GAA, but he's facing 30.16 shots on goal per game. That alone is making Lankinen's life tough in the Vancouver Canucks' crease. But he's also sporting a 0.880 save percentage, with a 0.333 quality starts percentage across 12 starts and 13 appearances, giving him a far greater sample size.
Joonas Korpisalo is another one to watch, but if Luukkonen can string together a couple good games, he should have the edge over Korpisalo. So far, Korpisalo has struggled for a better-than-expected Boston Bruins team, posting a 0.878 save percentage, a 3.43 GAA, and a 0.333 quality starts percentage. But, he also has nine starts and a much greater sample size than Luukkonen.
If Luukkonen wants a chance at Team Finland, he must prove himself in Buffalo
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has no choice but to become the "hot hand" and gain back that consistency he enjoyed in 2023-24, when he finished the year with a 0.910 save percentage, a 2.57 GAA, five shutouts, and a 0.667 quality starts percentage.
If he played for a better team, Luukkonen would have gotten some votes for the Vezina that year. Another four or five solid games that are reminiscent of those numbers are all Luukkonen needs to get back into the race, he is already starting to heat up. But with a packed goaltending room in a league where job security is scarce, the odds are stacked against Luukkonen.
Losing out on a spot on Team Finland would be frustrating for Luukkonen, since he was the primary backup at the 4 Nations Face-Off. And it goes to show that landing in a bad situation could jeopardise one's chances at representing their country on the world's biggest stage. It will be interesting to see if Luukkonen finds a way to increase his chances of making Team Finland in the coming weeks.