Sabres' Luukkonen Linked To Surprising Team

The Buffalo Sabres have too many goaltenders, plain and simple. The team is holding three on their NHL roster, which includes Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon, and Colten Ellis, but also have Devon Levi and Alexandar Georgiev in the AHL.

With where the Sabres are in the standings, at least one of them is going to be on the move this season, given the desperation in net by some teams around the league.

Who makes the most sense to move is Lyon, but it's Luukkonen who has been linked to a surprising team in the Sabres' division. Elliotte Friedman said, "I don't know where this is going to go, but I bet you there's a lot of teams doing their research on him. I would assume Montreal is one of those teams."

This is interesting because the Montreal Canadiens have Sam Montembeault and Jakub Dobes in the NHL and Jacob Fowler coming eventually. Is Luukkonen really better than Montembeault or Dobes and is a solution right now? I think maybe as Luukkonen is on a worse team and in 2023-24, he put up a .910 SV% for the Sabres. Montembeault might have started 60 games last season and got eighth in Vezina Trophy voting, but he finished with a .901 SV% in his best season.

Luukkonen costs around $1.5 million more per year, but is signed for three more years after this one if the Canadiens are looking for a little term. Montembeault only has next year left on his contract. There has been speculation that the Canadiens have been playing Montembeault more, even though he's been the worst goalie in Montreal, to showcase him or get him going. It's one or the other. If it's the former, then that means the Canadiens could pull off an interesting deal for a goalie this season.

Montreal is fighting for a playoff spot, and after a great start, has fallen out of a spot. It is very tight, so the standings will change every night, but the Canadiens have to be secure in goal. The Sabres really like Ellis, so it isn't believed he will be going anywhere. Montreal has the space to bring in Luukkonen, but don't expect them to run with three goalies. Montembeault or Dobes will be on the move, not necessarily to the Sabres, in a corresponding move.