Sabres’ Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen day-to-day with lower-body injury

Some clarification on what has been ailing one of the best young netminders in the game.

When speaking to the media on Wednesday, Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams stated that goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is out day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Adams said that Luukkonen was “having some pain” during workouts closer to training camp. He reported that the backstop underwent imaging and that there are “no alarms right now.” However, he did mention that UPL could be out longer than just a few days, but the injury isn’t severe enough to keep him out of action long-term.

It was reported last week that something had happened to the Finnish goaltender, which subsequently led to the Sabres signing veteran goaltender Alexander Georgiev to a one-year contract. Buffalo also signed Alex Lyon to a two-year deal, giving the team at least three other netminders with NHL experience, including prospect Devon Levi.

Luukkonen has quietly been one of the more solid goaltenders in the league, despite playing on a rather terrible team in Western New York. After a solid 2023-24 season, which saw him post a 27-22-4 record, with a 2.57 goals-against average, a .910 save percentage and five shutouts, UPL took a step back last season, in what was a tumultuous campaign for the Sabres. In 55 games, he went 24-24-5, registering a 3.20 GAA, a .887 SV% and two shutouts.

Luukkonen is entering the second season of his five-year contract, which he signed with the Sabres in July 2024. The deal carries a cap hit of $4.75 million, with a modified no-trade clause kicking in next year.

In 155 career NHL games, the 26-year-old has a record of 71-65-15, with a 3.06 GAA, a .898 SV% and seven shutouts.