The Buffalo Sabres have spent months apparently pursuing a goalie trade.
Specifically, they wanted Connor Hellebuyck, the superstar netminder with the Winnipeg Jets.
Hellebuyck has been heavily involved in trade discussions since the summer, and the Sabres were believed to be frontrunners for a while.
Nothing came of that, though, including the talks that appeared to include goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen going back the other way to Winnipeg.
UPL remains in Buffalo, and it appears as if Hellebuyck won’t be coming to Western New York.
The breaking news reports on Friday morning indicate that Hellebuyck will instead be going to the New Jersey Devils, assuming everything is finalized smoothly.
That could determine the fate of Luukkonen in Buffalo, too.
Sabres’ Chances of Trading UPL
The Sabres’ chances of trading Luukkonen have definitely decreased now that Hellebuyck is apparently off the market.
Even though it seemed in recent weeks that the Jets themselves might not want Luukkonen, the rumors suggested that the Sabres might acquire Hellebuyck and then move Luukkonen to a third team, potentially the New York Rangers.
Because Buffalo also has Alex Lyon (currently injured) and Colten Ellis, bringing aboard Hellebuyck and not sending a goalie somewhere else would’ve been tough to pull off.
With Hellebuyck seemingly off the market, the Sabres don’t seem likely to pursue a different new goalie. This was specifically about Hellebuyck, not about a broader approach to their crease.
So it now seems like Luukkonen is a lot less likely to be traded.
Yes, he has struggled, and teams that need goalie help might keep calling about UPL because he’s still young with talent and upside.
The Sabres just don’t have an obvious replacement anymore now that a Hellebuyck trade appears to have passed them by.
Sabres Goalie Outlook
Barring a late twist or someone else ending up on the goalie trade block, the Sabres now appear to be locked in with the same trio they had a year ago.
Last season, the triple threat of UPL, Lyon and Ellis all played pretty well, and they were all a part of getting the Sabres to the playoffs for the first time in 15 years.
The start to this season hasn’t been as pretty. Lyon hasn’t played yet after a late preseason injury, and neither Luukkonen nor Ellis have put up equivalent numbers to last season.
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff is going to have to work with what he’s got, though, and this seems to be the group. Buffalo simply has to do what it can to shore up its defense as a whole and hope that as the season gets rolling, its goalies can get in a groove, even if none of them are named Hellebuyck.
Sabres’ Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen Trade Outcome Becomes Clearer