Sabres’ Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen out day-to-day with undisclosed injury

The Buffalo Sabres will be without Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen on a day-to-day basis as the goaltender is dealing with an undisclosed injury, Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff told Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News on Sunday.

Through 33 appearances with the Sabres this season, Luukkonen has established a positive record of 14-14-4 alongside an .896 save percentage and 3.02 goals-against average with two shutouts.

A second-round choice by the Sabres in the 2017 NHL Draft, the 25-year-old Finnish-born netminder assumed the primary starting duties in Buffalo a year ago where through 54 appearances he found the win column 27 times coupled with a .910 save percentage, 2.57 goals-against average, and five shutouts, one shy of the league lead.

In all, through part of five seasons with the Sabres, Luukkonen is 61-55-14 with a .902 save percentage and 2.99 goals-against average. Per PuckPedia, Luukkonen is in the first year of a five-year pact that carries a $4.75-million annual average value.

Beyond his play in Buffalo, Luukkonen has also seen significant playing time in Rochester, home of the Sabres’ top minor-league affiliate. Through five seasons and 69 total appearances at the AHL level, Luukkonen has posted a 32-26-15 record with an .895 save percentage and 3.28 goals-against average.

A graduate of the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves, Luukkonen’s lone season at the junior level saw him recognized as the OHL’s Goaltender of the Year as well as the Red Tilson Trophy recipient as the league’s most outstanding player after he went 38-11-2 with a .920 save percentage and 2.50 goals-against average in 2018-19.

On the season, the Sabres sit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 17-23-5 record and 12 points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the second wildcard position. The Sabres return to the ice Monday to take on the Seattle Kraken.