Sabres GM says Luukkonen will be ‘big part’ of team’s future as Hellebuyck trade rumors persist

The Buffalo Sabres could be at a crossroads in their Stanley Cup contention window, as the availability of three-time Vezina Trophy-winning goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who has requested a trade from the Winnipeg Jets, gives them an opportunity to go all in if general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen opts to put together a package that would convince the Jets to deal him.

Any such move to land Hellebuyck would almost certainly involve current starting goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen going either to Winnipeg or a third team involved in the trade. Luukkonen, once heralded as the future franchise goalie of the Sabres, has developed into more of a solid 1A than a true franchise cornerstone.

In an interview with Buffalo sports radio station WGR 550, Kekäläinen threw a public vote of confidence behind Luukkonen, who at the age of 27, is still a spring chicken by goalie standards.

“UPL is a really good goaltender that has a lot to give to the Buffalo Sabres, and he’ll be a big part of our future,” Kekäläinen said.

Luukkonen was excellent in his 35 appearances last regular season, posting a .910 save percentage and 2.52 goals against average on his way to a 22-9-3 record that helped Buffalo snap the NHL’s longest postseason appearance drought.

So far this season, he has not carried over that momentum. Across seven games played, Luukkonen owns a .860 SV% and 3.59 GAA. There were already rumblings this summer that Buffalo would be an ideal, and interested, suitor for Hellebuyck, and Luukkonen’s early struggles are only amplifying the perceived fit between the Cup hopeful and 2026 Olympic gold medalist.

“Today’s goalies, they’re incredible athletes with reaction time that we only dream about, but the consistency is the key,” Kekäläinen said. “Has he been on the level that he was last year? Probably not. Does he get there? I believe he will. I think that he’s a pretty level-headed guy who can put out the noise in the background and just concentrate on the job.

Beyond Luukkonen, Kekäläinen expressed confidence in the other two-thirds of the goaltending trio that got the job done for the Sabres last year in Alex Lyon and Colten Ellis.

“Alex Lyon’s been hurt and he’s close to coming back, and we’ll see where he’s at when he does,” Kekäläinen added. “Colten Ellis played some excellent games for us last year. He hasn’t been quite as good as he was last year, but we believe he’ll get there again.

While Kekäläinen may be taking a confident posture about his goaltending situation in public to benefit his positioning in trade negotiations, he may well also be content to continue to roll with a deep group that got the job done in 2025-26.

As the season is officially three weeks old, Buffalo owns a 4-3-2 record good enough to put them fifth in the Atlantic Division.