Sabres News: UPL injury update, Alex Lyon phone call, Dominik Hasek

The Buffalo Sabres only have a handful of games remaining before the NHL's three-week break for the 2026 Winter Olympics, but the Eastern Conference playoff hopefuls are focused on maintaining their recent run of terrific form until that respite.

Buffalo will likely have to do it without goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who suffered a lower-body injury in the team's 7-4 win over the Atlantic Division rival Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday.

Luukkonen joins Josh Norris, Jiri Kulich, Jordan Greenway, Conor Timmins, Josh Dunne, Jacob Bryson and Justin Danforth among the Sabres' seemingly ever-growing list of injuries.

UPL expected to "miss a little bit of time"

Lindy Ruff confirmed Thursday that Luukkonen will miss at least a few games but the Sabres' head coach didn't reveal any further details about the nature of the injury.

"I'd say right now, we're looking at a week, and then see where he's at after that," Ruff told reporters.

It's hard to imagine Buffalo, which plays its last game before the Olympic break in exactly one week, would rush UPL back into action.

The bigger question is whether Luukkonen, who was making a strong push to usurp the Nashville Predators' Juuse Saros for the Team Finland starting goalie job, will be cleared to join Suomi for the Winter Games. The Finns' first game in Italy is scheduled for Feb. 11 against Slovakia.

Although it'd be frustrating on a personal level for UPL if he's forced to miss the Olympics, it doesn't appear his availability for the Sabres' return to action in late February is in any danger, barring any setbacks with the lower-body ailment.

Luukkonen has been a major part of Buffalo's resurgence. He's posted a 2.73 goals against average and .902 save percentage across 21 appearances, including a .916 SV% over his last 11 games.

Alex Lyon speaks with former Sabres star

Lyon is set to take over as the Blue and Gold's starting netminder until UPL returns. Colten Ellis may see a start or two in a backup role.

Buffalo will hope for a continuation of the 33-year-old journeyman's tremendous performance this season, highlighted by a .911 SV% and an active nine-game winning streak, which is tied for the longest mark in franchise history with Gerry Desjardins.

Bill Hoppe of the Times Herald reported Lyon recently received a phone call from Desjardins, who played for the Sabres from 1975 through 1978. He's now 81 years old.

"I'm glad that he called," Lyon told Hoppe, adding they discussed the mental challenges of the position: "It was interesting that we both were such on the same page."

Lyon, who was mentioned in trade rumors as Buffalo tried to solve its three-goalie problem earlier in the campaign, now appears fully off the trade block following the team's surge.

Happy Birthday, Dominik Hasek

Hasek, the best goalie in NHL history, turns 61 years old on Thursday.

The Czech Republic native set countless Sabres franchise records across a nine-year run in Buffalo that featured a microscopic 2.22 GAA and an eye-popping .926 SV% across 491 games. He helped carry the Sabres to the 1999 Stanley Cup Final, where they lost to the Dallas Stars in controversial (“No Goal”) fashion.

Recently, the organization announced the release of a documentary titled "Dominik Hasek: Always the Goalie," which will debut Feb. 1 on the team's digital platforms.

Hasek, who certainly earned the nickname "The Dominator,' owns an massive list of accomplishments that includes six Vezina Trophies, six All-Star Game selections, two Hart Trophies as the NHL's Most Valuable Player, two Stanley Cup titles and an Olympic gold medal, among other accolades.

His tenure in Buffalo spanned from 1992 through 2001.