Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen emergence draws bold take from Sabres teammate

Luukkonen initially opened the season as the backup. However, Devon Levi struggled ahead of him, giving him an opportunity. Luukkonen made the most of it. And his brilliance has not gone unnoticed. Teammate Dylan Cozens put it in plain terms ahead of Buffalo's 2024-25 season opener. “He was one of the best goalies in the League,” Cozens said, via NHL.com.

There is certainly some merit to this. Luukkonen played to an incredible .919 save percentage from January 6 onward last year. Furthermore, he led all NHL goaltenders with four shutouts in that span. Overall, the young Sabres goalie played to a .910 save percentage across the entire year. Furthermore, he finished with five shutouts in 54 games played.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen looking to prove worth to Sabres

There is no question of how the Sabres feel about Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Buffalo signed Luukkonen to a five-year contract extension this summer. As of now, it appears the roles have flipped from last season. Luukkonen is the starting goaltender while Levi and veteran James Reimer will back him up.

All of this faith is well-placed based on what he did last season. However, the stat totals have been zeroed out. Luukkonen cannot rely on what he did last year to get him through 2024-25. He is cognizant of the fact that he must put his best foot forward this upcoming season.

“I'm nowhere done yet. I'm still getting better. But I feel the steps I've been taking, they've been big and I've been working to this point to earn the starting position,” the Sabres goaltender said, via NHL.com. “Now I need to perform.”

The pressure is certainly on for Luukkonen to perform. Buffalo has missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of the last 13 seasons. It's the longest active playoff drought in the NHL. And the Sabres are hoping to avoid a repeat performance of last season's failure.

The Sabres will kick off their 2024-25 campaign in Czechia on Friday against the New Jersey Devils. Luukkonen is expected to start this game for Buffalo. It will certainly be interesting to see if the 25-year-old can live up to the expectations placed upon him this year.