Sabres’ Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen An Emerging Starter Amid Competition
The Buffalo Sabres faced an exciting question entering the 2023-24 season – “how high will Devon Levi climb?” It seemed like Levi was set for certain stardom coming off a historically good collegiate career, with some even claiming him as a pre-season favorite for the Calder Trophy opposite Connor Bedard. But Levi’s first full year of pro hockey proved to be much more human than anticipated, and it was Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen who stole Buffalo’s starting role while Levi split time between the NHL backup and AHL starter roles. Luukkonen performed well in the spotlight, managing 27 wins, a .910 save percentage, and five shutouts while handling a commendable 54 games. Now, nearly a month into the off-season, Luukkonen sits as an unsigned restricted free agent and Buffalo faces a new, much bleaker question: “who is our starter?”
The clearest answer seems to be Luukkonen, who’s still just 25 years old and coming off a year that would make any starter proud. It’s been a long march for the Finnish netminder, who struggled to find his footing through his first three years in North American pros. He kicked off his career by earning an AHL promotion on the back of 23 strong ECHL games, though he’d stall out with the Rochester Americans, ultimately recording a bleak .894 save percentage in 60 AHL games between the start of the 2018-19 and the end of the 2021-22 seasons.
But injuries forced Buffalo to recall Luukkonen twice in 2021, ultimately awarding him the first 13 NHL games of his career. He performed well in the spot starts, managing a .913 save percentage despite winning just three games. That was a bright enough flash to earn him a share of backup minutes in the 2022-23 campaign – an opportunity that he took in stride. In a reverse of his early stat line, Luukkonen found strong success in the win column despite a sub-.900 save percentage, posting a team-leading 17 wins and standing as the only Sabres goaltender with a winning record that year. His winning tendencies and strong stat lines merged in the starting role this year, ultimately leading to a season that was hard to ignore. Luukkonen’s 27 wins stand as the most of any Sabres goaltender since Ryan Miller in 2012, and his .910 save percentage is the team’s highest since Robin Lehner in 2017.
Simply put, it’s been a while since Buffalo has seen a goalie season as capable as Luukkonen’s 2023-24 campaign. The team now faces the dreaded task of putting a price to the starring performance, without much supplementary info to go on. Levi’s presence only makes Buffalo’s decision harder. The 22-year-old top prospect managed a .899 save percentage in 23 games as an NHL rookie this season – certainly nothing to bluff at – and a .927 in 26 AHL games – the second-highest save percentage in the minors. Levi still carries a blue chip, even if his highly-anticipated rookie year fell short of the history books. Any long-term extension for Luukkonen would have to consider Levi’s rightful shot at opportunity. And while Buffalo can dream of a perfectly balanced duo akin to Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman, it seems more likely that each of Luukonen and Levi’s success comes on the back of a consistent role.
So what could a new deal look like for Luukkonen – and what kind of time share is awaiting him? Thatcher Demko is currently riding a five-year, $25MM extension earned after a pair of limited but promising seasons with the Vancouver Canucks where he managed 29 wins and a .910 save percentage across 62 games. That falls closely in line with Luukkonen’s strong 2023-24, though Demko carried the prestige of a higher draft pick and stronger track record. The Sabres could instead vie for a deal more comparable to Alexandar Georgiev – who joined the Colorado Avalanche on a three-year, $10.2MM deal in 2022 after holding well in the New York Rangers backup role. Like Demko and Luukkonen, Georgiev’s deal came with little to go on, save for a strong stat line in limited minutes.
Unfortunately for the Sabres, both Demko and Georgiev followed their signings with 60-game seasons – and both performed well with the opportunity. That precedent, and Buffalo’s plea for strong consistency in net after so long without it, could force the Sabres to commit to a full year of Luukkonen. That would set them up for a situation more closely related to Nashville’s than Boston’s, with a top-end, young goaltender burgeoning out of the AHL starter role, but an all-too-capable starter hogging the limelight. Or the Sabres may bridge the gap between the two teams – a benefit of a nearby AHL team – finding ways to incorporate Levi into the lineup whenever available, while still honoring Luukkonen’s deserved chance at a full-time role. Either way, the team’s vision for their goaltending will be spelled out by the contract they sign Luukkonen to – and it will be a decision with major ramifications.
Sabres Unlikely To Move Goalie, Won’t Extend Young Players This Summer
The Buffalo Sabres used a trio of netminders last season as they searched for stability in the crease. Now, it appears that two-thirds of that group will be back next season as the Sabres are planning to roll into the 2024-25 season with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi as their netminders (as per Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News). The news isn’t all that surprising given where the Sabres are at, however, they were recently linked to a pair of netminders in Linus Ullmark and Filip Gustavsson(as per The Fourth Period).
The Sabres have good reason to be optimistic about Luukkonen’s development as the 25-year-old took a massive step forward last season, dressing in a career-high 54 games and posting a 27-22-4 record. The Espoo, Finland registered an above-average .910 save percentage and a 2.57 goals-against average to go along with 9.4 goals saved above expected (per Money Puck). Levi also had good underlying numbers with 10.7 goals saved above expected in just 23 games. He did spend significant time in the AHL but appears poised to spend all of next season in the NHL. Luukkonen is an RFA, while Levi has one more year left on his entry-level contract.
Lysowski also tweeted that Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams has talked with the agents for Bowen Byram, JJ Peterka, and Jack Quinn to discuss getting new contracts done as they are eligible for extensions on July 1st. However, Adams doesn’t believe that those contract extensions will get done this summer, and there isn’t a lot of urgency as all three players will be restricted free agents on July 1st, 2025.
Peterka is the likeliest of the three to get a long-term extension done as the 22-year-old posted 28 goals and 22 assists in 82 games last season. The Sabres might look at a bridge deal for Quinn as he has dealt with injury issues and hasn’t been able to establish himself as a regular NHLer.
Byram could get a longer-term deal depending on how this upcoming season goes. The 23-year-old struggled before his trade to Buffalo but was very good offensively for the Sabres after his trade from Colorado. The Cranbrook, British Columbia native posted three goals and six assists in 18 games with Buffalo while he averaged almost 22 minutes of ice time per game.
Sabres Loan Devon Levi To The AHL
The Buffalo Sabres have loaned netminder Devon Levi to the Rochester Americans of the AHL. The Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec native has been with the Sabres since March 16th and dressed in three games for Buffalo during his recall, posting a 1.78 goals-against average and a .947 save percentage.
Despite strong numbers during his recent recall, the 22-year-old has had a tough season at the NHL level. In 23 NHL games, the former seventh-round pick has posted a 10-8-2 record to go along with a 3.10 goals-against average and a .899 save percentage.
At the AHL level, Levi has been strong in 19 games registering an 11-5-3 record with a 2.52 goals against average and a .927 save percentage. He will now join the Americans to assist them with their playoff push. Rochester is currently in third place in the North Division and has been hot as of late with seven wins in their last ten games. Barring an unforeseen collapse, Levi should be able to get some valuable playoff experience with Rochester in the coming months.
The Sabres goaltending situation has been interesting throughout the season as they’ve carried three NHL goalies for long stretches. Levi and Eric Comrie have struggled at times and given that Levi likely needs more development in the AHL the Sabres could pursue a stopgap option this summer.
Sabres Recall Devon Levi
5:02 p.m.: Buffalo has officially announced Levi’s recall after losing to the Red Wings 4-1 earlier today.
9:56 a.m.: The Sabres are bringing up some goaltending insurance for their five-game road trip as Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reports (Twitter links) that they will be recalling goaltender Devon Levi from AHL Rochester. The move isn’t expected to be registered until after their game this afternoon against Detroit is finished.
The 22-year-old is in his first professional season and had high expectations coming in after taking over the starting job down the stretch last year when his college campaign came to an end. However, Levi struggled with consistency with Buffalo, playing to a 3.30 GAA and a .891 SV%. That resulted in the Sabres deciding to send Levi down in late January, allowing him to get a steady workload outside the NHL spotlight.
That decision was a wise one as Levi thrived with the Amerks, posting a 2.52 GAA and a .919 SV% in 19 games while helping Rochester move up to third in the North Division. Now, with Eric Comrie continuing to struggle in the backup role, Levi will likely serve as the second-string option for the stretch run as Buffalo looks to continue to gain ground in their late playoff push; they enter play today just three points out of a tie for the last Wild Card position.
With Comrie (who also saw AHL action this season) now ineligible to play for Rochester for the rest of the year, Buffalo will instead carry three netminders at least for the short-term future. Accordingly, Levi’s pending promotion will count against Buffalo’s four post-deadline recall limit once it’s registered later today.
Sabres Notes: Tokarski, Luukkonen, Quinn
The Buffalo Sabres have recalled goaltender Dustin Tokarski from the Rochester Americans of the AHL. The 34-year-old has yet to play in the NHL this year and has sat fourth on the Sabres goaltending depth chart this season. The veteran of 80 NHL games will split duties with Eric Comrie for the time being as the Sabres have opted to leave youngster Devon Levi in the AHL.
A standout junior goalie in the WHL with the Spokane Chiefs, Tokarski has never been able to put it together in the NHL. He last dressed for an NHL game nearly a year ago to the day for the Pittsburgh Penguins surrendering four goals on 42 shots in a 5-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils. This season in the AHL, the native of Watson, Saskatchewan has struggled to a 7-7-2 record with an .888 save percentage and a 3.47 goals-against average.
In other Sabres notes:
- Another Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is day-to-day after suffering a lower-body injury during the team’s morning skate. The 24-year-old was slated to start his fifth straight game tonight but will be sidelined for a few days. Luukkonen has started 10 of Buffalo’s last 11 games and is coming off his fourth shutout of the season on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Kings. The native of Espoo, Finland is 13-13-2 this season with a 2.51 goals against average and a .913 save percentage.
- The Sabres also placed forward Jack Quinn on the injured reserve today with a lower-body injury. The 22-year-old underwent surgery on January 29th and is expected to be out for eight weeks meaning that his IR placement won’t affect a potential return when he is ready to get back into the lineup. The Ottawa, Ontario native has struggled with injuries this season and has played just 17 games. He was heating up before the injury with four points in his last two games and had been productive most of the season, posting five goals and seven assists.
Atlantic Notes: Levi, Comrie, Samoskevich, Newpower
The Sabres swapped backup netminders on Sunday, announcing the recall of Eric Comrie from AHL Rochester while returning rookie Devon Levi to the minors. As such, the 22-year-old will get a handful of starts in Rochester over the next ten days or more while the Sabres are off for the All-Star break.
Buffalo’s three-goalie experiment to begin the season has ended. 24-year-old Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen now has a firm grasp on the starter’s crease, posting a 12-11-2 record, .909 SV% and 2.61 GAA in 26 games. All of those stats lead the team, as do his 2.4 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck.
The 22-year-old Levi hasn’t had the rookie season some had hoped for, but despite his subpar .891 SV%, he’s still been solid relative to the high shot quality he’s faced. Like Luukkonen, he’s performed slightly above average, stopping 1.5 goals saved above expected in his 20 appearances. Levi’s played only three times since the beginning of January, though, and without a clear path to the majority of the starts in Buffalo, the organization is rightfully interested in getting their youngster some more playing time. In three games with Rochester, Levi has a .903 SV% and a 2-1-0 record.
While Comrie has done well in the minors as of late, his NHL track record this season suggests he’ll be returned to Rochester once the Sabres’ schedule resumes next month. Injuries and poor play have limited him to seven appearances this year, in which he’s posted a 1-5-0 record and a .863 SV%. The 28-year-old will not need to clear waivers upon his return to the minors after passing through unclaimed on New Year’s Day unless he stays on the roster for more than 30 days.
Other transactions from the Atlantic Division today:
- The Panthers loaned rookie forward Mackie Samoskevich to AHL Charlotte, per the NHL’s media site. The 21-year-old played in all four games since Florida recalled him one week ago, his first NHL action in nearly three months. The Panthers went a perfect four-for-four with Samoskevich in the lineup, but he didn’t manage to record a point and posted a -1 rating while averaging 11:39 per game. Their 2021 first-round pick is still looking for his first NHL point after making the team out of camp last October. He’s done quite well in the minors, however, ranking second on Charlotte with 11 goals and 15 assists for 26 points in 32 games.
- Less than 24 hours after recalling him, the Red Wings returned defenseman Wyatt Newpower to AHL Grand Rapids, per a team announcement. Newpower, 26, was a healthy scratch for last night’s 5-2 win over the Golden Knights. Detroit has routinely brought up a defenseman from Grand Rapids on game days to serve as last-minute injury insurance while Ben Chiarot is sidelined with an undisclosed injury, routinely bringing up the more experienced Brogan Rafferty. They decided to give him a break from the roster turmoil yesterday, however, instead giving Newpower his first NHL summons since signing his entry-level contract three years ago.
Sabres Recall Eric Comrie, Assign Devon Levi To AHL
1/21: The Sabres have recalled Levi and sent Comrie back to the minors – reversing the moves made yesterday.
1/20: The Buffalo Sabres have announced that they’ve recalled goaltender Eric Comrie from the Rochester Americans of the AHL and in a corresponding move they’ve assigned netminder Devon Levi to Rochester. The Sabres had gone with three goaltenders at the NHL level earlier in the season, but have demoted Levi and Comrie at different times to try and open up some roster flexibility,
The 28-year-old Comrie has appeared three times for the Americans during his time in the AHL and has been terrific as he went 2-1 with a .951 save percentage and a goals-against average of 1.67. It was a dramatic turnaround from his numbers with the Sabres earlier in the season, as the Edmonton, Alberta native struggled in the NHL with a 1-5 record, a 4.01 goals-against average and a save percentage of .863.
22-year-old Devon Levi has also posted good numbers at the AHL level in limited action as he has gone 1-1 with a .921 save percentage and a 2.94 goals-against average. Much like Comrie, Levi has also struggled at the NHL level as he has dressed in 19 games registering an 8-7-2 record with a 3.32 goals-against average and an .889 save percentage.
While neither of the two netminders have cemented themselves as a full-time NHL backup this season, Levi has posted better underlying numbers according to MoneyPuck.com. While one would think that the Sabres would want to keep the stronger netminder of the two at the NHL, this move could be more about Levi’s development than anything else. The Sabres may want to get Levi into more games down the stretch, and given that he hasn’t been able to do so in the NHL, they might have deemed the best course to have him as a regular starter in the AHL.
What Your Team Is Thankful For: Florida Panthers
As the holiday season approaches, PHR will be taking a look at what teams are thankful for in 2023-24. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Florida Panthers.
Who are the Panthers thankful for?
Tkachuk has not been himself thus far this season, but it is hard to fault him after he suffered a broken sternum in game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals in June. He valiantly tried to play in game 5 but could only take a few shifts before he had to shut himself down. He went through rehabilitation and recovery in the summer and although he was ready for training camp, it’s hard to believe that he had a full summer of his regular training regimen.
Tkachuk hasn’t been bad this year, he just hasn’t lived up to the level of play he’s shown over the past few seasons when he has been regularly in the conversation for league MVP. The 26-year-old has just five goals and 15 assists in 27 games thus far this season but has continued to be a dominant force at even strength. Although his goal numbers aren’t what they’ve been the last two seasons, he continues to drive the play and is snake bit by a career-low shooting percentage of 4.8%. Tkachuk is a career 12.7% shooter, meaning that he should see a surge here in the coming months unless his broken sternum is still a cause for concern. That doesn’t appear to be the case though as Tkachuk continues to play with reckless abandon this season, as his hitting numbers are up considerably from last year.
Tkachuk is not only the on-ice leader of the Panthers, but he is also the heart and soul player that teams covet desperately. Many thought the Panthers had given up too much to acquire the Scottsdale, Arizona native from the Calgary Flames, but a year and a half after the trade it looks like an absolute heist by general manager Bill Zito.
What are the Panthers thankful for?
Pro Scouting.
Over the last few years, not every trade the Panthers have made has worked out, but the bulk of them have been good, and several of them have been home runs.
As was mentioned earlier, the Tkachuk trade was an absolute thing of beauty for the Panthers, It was high profile and high risk, but some of their sneakier trades are almost as impressive.
Acquiring Sam Bennett from the Calgary Flames for Emil Heineman and a second-round pick was another well-crafted trade that ended up one-sided in favor of the Panthers. Another key move was the trade with the Buffalo Sabres to acquire Sam Reinhart who currently leads the team in scoring this season with 17 goals and 20 assists in 27 games. That trade could go either way though as Reinhart is a free agent at year’s end and Devon Levi has shown glimpses of being a star in the making, despite his struggles this season.
But one of Panthers’ best moves was a different trade with the Sabres. One in which Florida acquired Brandon Montour for a 2021 third-round pick. Montour has started slowing this season with just two assists in 11 games, but like Tkachuk, he is returning from a severe injury. Montour was a key catalyst for the Panthers last season as he put up career numbers with 16 goals and 57 assists in 80 games. To cap it all off the 29-year-old had eight goals and five assists in 21 games during Florida’s surprise run to the Stanley Cup finals this past spring. His acquisition remains some of the Panthers’ best work the last few years, and credit goes to the team’s pro scouting who continue to identify diamonds in the rough.
What would the Panthers be even more thankful for?
A few contract extensions.
The Panthers are headed into a summer of uncertainty as they do have a number off key free agents who could be difficult to get under contract long-term.
As mentioned earlier, Reinhart has been terrific this season. He is on pace for a career year and could eclipse 50 goals and 100 points for the first time in his career. The timing could not be better for the 28-year-old as he is just over six months away from hitting the open market. If he gets to market there is no telling how high the cap hit could be on a lucrative long-term deal, especially with the salary cap rising substantially for the first time since before the pandemic. The Panthers are the only team that can offer Reinhart an eighth year, but they do have other extensions to consider and may not be willing to go as high as they need to get a deal done.
Montour is another pending unrestricted free agent, and his negotiations are complicated by the wild variance in his play in the last few seasons. After having a career year last season, he has started slowing this year and may give the Panthers pause when it comes to negotiations. Florida might want to see more from Montour before locking him down long-term. However, he was invaluable to them last year, particularly during their playoff run, and if he can replicate that success this year, he may price himself out of Florida.
Lastly, Gustav Forsling is also just over six months away from being able to sign with any team in the league, and while he hasn’t matched the pace he set last year offensively, he is still a key driver of play and can play in all situations. Forsling remains one of the most underrated defensemen in the NHL, but that could change with his next contract. While he currently is playing under a deal that pays him just over $2.6MM annually, he should be able to double his cap hit on his next deal.
At 27 years old Forsling likely has a lot left to give and should be a priority for the Panthers. He blocks shots, kills penalties, can chip in offensively, and is terrific at even strength. The Panthers would be hard-pressed to replace the minutes he plays in free agency and will likely look to lock him up long-term.
What should be on the Panthers holiday wish list?
A depth defenseman.
It really goes to show you how good this Panthers team is that their big need is a depth defenseman. An argument could be made that they use another center, but with Kevin Stenlund providing a decent defensive presence as the fourth line center, we can table talk about the forwards and focus on the Panthers’ back-end.
Uvis Balinskis has filled in admirably on the Panthers third defensive paring as the 27-year-old rookie has played okay in heavily sheltered minutes for the team alongside Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Despite his decent play in a supporting role, the Panthers will likely need to improve their depth if they hope to make another deep run in the playoffs. Balinskis does have a physical element to his game but isn’t overly big and can be pushed off the puck. He also appears uncomfortable playing on his offside, something he will probably have to do to remain in the Panthers lineup long-term.
Florida would do well to grab a depth right-shot defenseman, who can fill in for Balinskis on occasion, or takeover from him should he begin to falter as the season goes on,
Sabres Place Alex Tuch, Jordan Greenway On IR
The Sabres announced a handful of roster moves before tonight’s game against the Red Wings, placing winger Alex Tuch and Jordan Greenway on IR. As reported earlier in the day, these moves make room on the 23-man roster to recall goaltender Devon Levi from AHL Rochester. Levi will back up Eric Comrie tonight while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is sidelined with an illness.
Head coach Don Granato told the media Tuesday that both Tuch and Greenway’s injuries are short-term and will keep them out between seven and ten days (via Bill Hoppe of the Times Herald).
Tuch suffered his injury in Saturday’s narrow 2-1 loss to the Predators. He’s had one injury-related absence this season – an upper-body ailment sidelined him for three games in mid-November. This appears to be a lower-body issue that Tuch sustained without contact while backchecking to catch up with Predators winger Filip Forsberg.
Greenway sustained an upper-body injury in the first period of Friday’s game against the Hurricanes and did not return. He missed Saturday’s game against Nashville and has now played in just two out of Buffalo’s last six games, including a three-game absence for personal reasons in late November.
The Sabres, who are now 3-6-1 in their last ten games and are three games below the .500 mark, are in serious trouble. Things won’t get better without the services of two of their better wingers. Tuch is fifth on the team in scoring with eight goals and 17 points in 22 games, while Greenway has been one of their better defensive wingers despite his scoring cooling off from the beginning of the season.
This should afford 2021 first-round pick Isak Rosen a more extended look in the NHL lineup over the next five or so games. The 20-year-old has seen fourth-line duties since being recalled last month and is still looking for his first NHL point. He’s averaged 9:35 and posted a -3 rating in four contests to begin his NHL career.
East Notes: Thompson, Levi, Mara
Buffalo Sabres star Tage Thompson has returned to team practice this morning, taking line rushes with Casey Mittelstadt and Jeff Skinner today. Thompson has not played since November 14th and has been working his way back from an upper-body injury.
Should Thompson return to the Sabres’ first-line next to Mittelstadt and Skinner, he would thereby be displacing winger Alex Tuch from that trio. Thompson’s return could very well result in Isak Rosén returning to the AHL’s Rochester Americans, seeing as he has no points through four NHL games this year and a spot in the team’s forward lineup would need to be cleared.
Some other notes from the Eastern Conference:
- According to The Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski, the Sabres are expected to recall goaltender Devon Levi from the Americans today. Netminder Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is battling an illness, so with the Sabres set to play the Detroit Red Wings tonight, Buffalo is likely to recall its top goalie prospect. Levi was sent down in order to have a “reset” after a difficult start to the season, so while he’ll likely serve as the backup for this recall he should be expected to be returned to the AHL in relatively short order.
- Larry Brooks of The New York Post reports that former NHL defenseman Paul Mara is being promoted from his position as an assistant development coach with the Rangers to a spot on the bench of the team’s AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. Mara will be charged with managing the Wolf Pack defense, a unit that includes prospects such as Matthew Robertson and Brandon Scanlin as well as breakout players such as Nikolas Brouillard and Mac Hollowell.