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Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Buffalo Sabres (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Sabres’ Goaltender Luukkonen Has Chance To Prove Himself

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Zach Berta | Last updated Jan 6, 2026 10:50 AM ET

The Buffalo Sabres have been hot as of late. Before their 5-1 loss against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday afternoon, they had won 10 straight games, getting themselves back into the thick of things in the Eastern Conference.

One contributor to some wins was Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who won three games during the stretch and posted a save percentage (SV%) of at least .950, allowing only one goal in each of the three games.

With Alex Lyon placed on injured reserve (IR) and expected to “miss some time”, according to head coach Lindy Ruff, this is where Luukkonen can prove he can be consistent and take over the starting goaltender job, even when Lyon is healthy.

Consistency Is the Key

The one thing Luukkonen has struggled with this season has been consistency. Before the 10-game winning streak the Sabres went on, he had yet to record back-to-back games with a SV% of at least .900. Being able to make the easy saves and bail out his team when they need him to is something that Luukkonen needs to show more of over the next month if he wants a permanent spot on the roster.

This season, Luukkonen has recorded a .901 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.58 goals-against average (GAA), with a 7-6-1 record. Those are solid numbers, but he could be better.

General manager Jarmo Kekalainen has talked about wanting to go back to a full-time two-goaltender rotation. Well, reports surfaced that he was discussing a potential trade involving Lyon with the Edmonton Oilers before the Oilers traded for Tristan Jarry from the Pittsburgh Penguins. It looks like Kekalainen believes in Luukkonen, which is good, but Luukkonen needs to prove Kekalainen right.

With how loaded the Eastern Conference is this season, the Sabres cannot afford to get inconsistent goaltending from Luukkonen. I’m not saying he has to post a SV% of .950-plus every night, but he needs to do enough to help the Sabres win hockey games, and over the last four weeks, he has.

The Opportunity Window Is Wide Open

Luukkonen has a significant opportunity to keep earning Ruff’s trust in the crease and to become the Sabres’ bona fide number one goaltender this season and beyond.

After this season, he has three more years left on his current contract, with a $4.75 million cap hit per season. He needs to show it, and with Lyon hurt and Colten Ellis not having played a game in almost a month due to injury, he has an opportunity to show he can contribute on a night-to-night basis.

There has been only one other instance in which Luukkonen’s job has been secure: the 2023-24 season. Other than that, he’s had to battle with other goaltenders for games. In the 2022-23 season, it was Devon Levi, and last season it was James Reimer, who had a run of games down the stretch and stole the job from Luukkonen.

Luukkonen needs to steal the job himself, rather than it getting stolen from him for once. Right now, he’s playing solid hockey, nothing extraordinary, but it has not been horrible as of late.

Luukkonen could also use his selection to represent Finland at the Olympics as motivation. He can show Finland’s management why he deserves to be the starting goaltender over Juuse Saros and Kevin Lankinen.

Luukkonen still has some upside, and with the Sabres in a prime position to compete for a playoff spot the rest of the season, they need him to step up. He can become one of the reasons they make the playoffs and snap a 14-season playoff drought, rather than adding to the drought and extending it to 15 seasons. He has an opportunity to insert himself as a true number one goaltender in this league, but he’s going to have to prove it.