Wow, what a year it’s been for Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. How bad have things gotten for the player known to many as UPL? Hey, while we would’ve forgiven Luukkonen had he taken a small step back in 2024-25 after an incredible 2023-24 campaign, none of us saw a giant leap coming.
But here we are in April 2025, where Luukkonen has 52 starts under his belt with a 3.23 GAA and an 0.885 save percentage. While he’s got a quality starts percentage of 0.500, his 16 ‘really bad starts’ means that in almost one-third of all games he’s played, Luukkonen has given beyond subpar performances.
So, how far has Luukkonen dropped since what was supposed to be a breakout campaign in 2023-24? We saw him in 54 games last season, with 51 starts, a 0.910 save percentage, a 2.57 GAA, five shutouts, a 0.667 quality starts percentage, and just six ‘really bad starts.’ You look at those numbers, and it’s night and day from what we’ve seen this season.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has left the Sabres net open for 2025-26
Luukkonen’s backslide has left the net open, and while he’ll return as a key player in the Sabres goaltending rotation, he’ll need to prove he’s still the best man for the job. Maybe James Reimer returns and provides competition for Luukkonen? Reimer’s enjoyed decent outings through 17 games, and boasts a 0.903 save percentage, a 2.81 GAA, a 0.714 quality starts percentage, and just three ‘really bad starts.’
No, Reimer won’t take over the net as a No. 1, neither in Buffalo nor anywhere. But if he slid into a backup role again, it wouldn’t surprise me if he ended up with something between 25 and 30 starts. This is assuming he could fend off Devon Levi, whose performances in the AHL should give all Sabres fans renewed optimism.
Unlike Luukkonen, Levi’s allowed to struggle and make mistakes at this stage in his career. And when given the chance this season, Levi’s play has been up and down, if I wanted to be generous. His 0.872 save percentage and 4.12 GAA meant it was a guarantee he’d return to Rochester, but that was by far the best place for him.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen still has a lot to prove as the season winds down
While Devon Levi doesn’t have the edge just yet, his play in Rochester has been among the AHL’s best, with six shutouts, a 2.23 GAA, and a 0.917 save percentage. Yeah, so I have no doubt we’ll see a ready and willing Devon Levi step into the Sabres net in the preseason, poised to push Luukkonen for that No. 1 goaltender spot.
But, the Sabres can also sign another veteran and plug them in, giving Levi time to perfect his skills in Rochester regardless of what he looks like in the preseason. Regardless, the Sabres can’t go into 2025-26 and act like Luukkonen has the net all to himself unless they want a repeat of his stagnant play this year.
No, you can’t pin everything on Luukkonen, considering how poorly the Sabres played at times as a unit. But he also didn’t step up and make the same game-changing saves we often saw from him last year.