Sabres sign Luukkonen to 5-year deal with $4.75M AAV

The Buffalo Sabres rewarded goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen for a breakout season with a five-year contract carrying an average annual value of $4.75 million, the club announced Wednesday.

Luukkonen, who was a restricted free agent, grabbed the Sabres' starting job and exceeded expectations in 2023-24. He went 27-22-4 with a .910 save percentage and five shutouts across 54 games, suiting up for 21 more contests than he played in the previous campaign.

The 25-year-old posted a 17-11-4 record in 2022-23, but his save percentage was a paltry .892.

Luukkonen's career year was his fourth with the Sabres, who drafted him 54th overall in 2017.

The Finn was initially viewed as Buffalo's netminder of the future, but he was inconsistent in his first few seasons aside from a strong nine-game sample in 2021-22. The Sabres pivoted to grooming prized trade acquisition Devon Levi in that role, but Luukkonen carved out more playing time at the NHL level this past campaign with his strong play and amid Levi's struggles.

Luukkonen was mediocre in 2023-24 before the calendar flipped to 2024, as he matched last season's .892 save percentage over that 18-game span. But from Jan. 6 to his final appearance on April 13, he authored a stellar .919 mark across 36 contests.

The Sabres signed 36-year-old puck-stopper James Reimer to a one-year, $1-million deal on July 2. Levi, who'll turn 23 in December, is under contract for $925,000 in 2024-25, after which he can become an RFA.