Sabres GM Addresses Blockbuster Goaltending Trade Rumors
Speaking on WGR 550 in Buffalo, Kekalainen said, “We believe in our goaltending. They had really good numbers last year. They were good for us, all three of them.”
“Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is a really good goaltender and has a lot to give to the Buffalo Sabres and he’ll be a big part of our future,” he added.
Kekalainen didn’t specificly address the Hellebuyck speculation, as The Fourth Period noted, and it is worth noting that a GM can’t comment on players under contract with other teams.
Luukkonen’s Slow Start Is The Backdrop
Luukkonen is 27 and is 3-2-2 with a 3.59 goals-against average and an .860 save percentage this season, and Buffalo is 4-3-2 while allowing 3.67 goals per game.
That’s a step back from last season, when he went 22-9-3 with a 2.52 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage in 35 games as the Sabres ended the NHL’s longest playoff drought.
Kekalainen acknowledged the slow start, saying, “The consistency is the key. Has he been on the level that he was last year, probably not. Does he get there, I believe he will.”
Elliotte Friedman: Re Connor Hellebuyck: When I'm talking about Utah...if the Rangers go get a Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen or...a Karel Vejmelka...I assume [goalie scout Scott Clemmensen] was maybe looking at Ville Husso; I don't know if I see that - 32 Thoughts (10/19) ____ NHLRR: If the Mammoth are able to line up a deal for Hellebuyck, they would be free to trade Vejmelka to the Rangers, or perhaps even use some of those assets in a Hellebuyck offer
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) October 20, 2026
“I think he’s a pretty level-headed guy who can put out the noise in the background and just concentrate on the job, but we’re all humans too,” Kekalainen said.
He also said Alex Lyon is hurt and close to returning, and that Colten Ellis, who is 1-1-0 with a 3.19 goals-against average, hasn’t been quite as good as last year but “we believe he’ll get there again.”
The Hellebuyck Chain Still Runs Through Buffalo
The Fourth Period reported Luukkonen was believed to be part of a package Buffalo would have sent Winnipeg in late June for Hellebuyck, with Jack Quinn, Ryan McLeod, and Radim Mrtka among the other players reportedly discussed, before that deal fell apart.
His five-team no-trade list kicked in July 1 with Winnipeg among the five teams, and Daily Faceoff wrote that any Hellebuyck deal would almost certainly involve Luukkonen going to Winnipeg or a third team.
The Rangers and Devils are rumored to have recently checked in on him, and Elliotte Friedman said Monday the Rangers have scouted Luukkonen and Utah’s Karel Vejmelka.
Buffalo Sabres GM Jarmo Kekäläinen discusses the Sabres current goalie situation, and says Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will be "a big part of our future". https://t.co/ceIqyILOVV
— WGR 550 (@WGR550) October 20, 2026
Friedman also said Buffalo is one of the teams that “holds the keys” because it has wanted Hellebuyck for a while and he’s willing to go there.
The Jets may not even want Luukkonen back, since Stuart Skinner and Clay Stevenson have played well, and The Fourth Period noted Carolina, Utah, and Los Angeles are also still tied to Hellebuyck.
Hellebuyck’s suspension is set to end Friday, and there’s no current expectation of when he’ll return to the ice.
