Buffalo Sabres · #1 · Goalie

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Age 27 · Catches left · 6′5″ · 223 lb · Born Espoo, FIN

Drafted 2017, #54 overall by Buffalo

Next game · Thu 8 Octvs Dallas · 7:00 PM ET.966 save % in the last 1 vs DALGame preview →
Games22026-27 · 2 starts Small sample
Record1-1-0Wins: T-1st on BUF
Save %.78454th of 55
GAA4.0345th of 55
Shutouts0
Saves2937 shots faced
Quality starts00.0% of starts

2025-262025-26: 35 games, 22-9-3, .910 save %, 2.52 GAA Season detail →

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has a .784 save percentage over 2 games of 2026-27, after .910 in 35 games last season.

This season

2026-27 regular season · 2 games Small sample
2026-27 · The season

A .784 save percentage over 2 games

Where he ranks among NHL goalies with 1+ games, then his save percentage through the season in ten-game blocks.

Percentile among NHL goalies

Starts256th
Wins154th
Shutouts043rd
Goals against avg4.0319th
Quality start %0.0%18th
Shots faced / 6018.68th
Even-strength save %.7935th
Save %.7843rd

Bars show the percentile against 55 goalies with 1+ games in 2026-27; the thin line marks the league median.

Save % · ten-game blocks

.784.7841–3

Dashed line: season average (.784). Dark blocks sit at or above it.

Wins1T-1st on BUF
Save %.78454th of 55
Goals against avg4.0345th of 55
Starts21st on BUF
Shutouts0T-1st on BUF
Stats hub

Workload and save % by strength

110 points of save percentage below the league at even strength

2 starts in 2026-27: save percentage split by strength, how often he finished what he started, and the goal support in front of him.

Save % by strength

Even strength.79329 shots · lg .903
Opponent power play.6676 shots · lg .849
His team on the PP1.0002 shots · lg .848

League figures pool every goalie with the same minimum games (55 goalies).

Workload

Starts21st on BUF
Relief appearances0
Complete games2100.0% of games
Shots faced / 6018.6
Minutes119

Goal support

Goals for / 603.53
Goals against / 604.03
Regulation wins1
Regulation losses1
Quality starts00.0% of starts

Expected goals

10.5 goals saved above expected in 2025-26

How many goals the shots he faced should have produced, against how many went in.

GSAx−3.751st of 55 goalies
Expected goals against4.38 allowed
Save %.784Expected .883
GSAx per game−1.832 games

2026-27. Goals saved above expected = the expected goals of every unblocked shot he faced (empty net excluded) minus the goals he allowed. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.

Goals saved above expected for every goalie →


2026-27 · Save % by zone

A .500 save percentage from the slot, 38th of 38 goalies

Every shot on goal he faced, split into the same five zones as our shot maps. The map shows where the goals against came from.

Goal against
Crease.667 · 27th
Slot.500 · 38th
Wing1.000 · 1st
Point1.000 · 1st
Neutral zone1.000 · 1st

Save % and rank among the 38 goalies who faced at least a third of the league-high shot total in 2026-27. Bars start at .750. Small sample: these numbers move a lot in the first weeks of a season.

Save % by zone, every goalie
5v5 save %.77838th of 38 goalies
Slot + crease save %.52938th of 38
Games above .9000%0 of 2 games
Shots on goal faced378 goals against

Game log

Against Dallas, 1 win in 1

Full game log →
DateOpponentResultSAGASV%TOI
31 Dec 2025@DALW 4-1291.96660:00

Prediction markets

3.5% for the Vezina Trophy

Season ladders and award futures he is priced for, as the venues' average midpoint.

Vezina TrophyBest goaltender3.5%—Best1¢4¢Not listed

Snapshot 7 Oct, 10:12 AM ET. "Best" is the cheapest price to buy Yes after venue fees. Prices are snapshots taken every 15 minutes (season futures hourly), not live. Prediction markets carry risk of loss and are not available in every jurisdiction. 18+/21+ where applicable. How markets work · Affiliate disclosure


Contract

$4.75M a season through 2028-29

In 2025-26 he saved +2.22 goals above expected per $1M of cap hit, 20th of 59 goalies with 20 or more games and a current contract.

Cap hit$4.75M4.6% of the $104M ceiling
Term5 yearsYear 3 of 5
Expires2028-29UFA at 30
Cap value$23.8MCap hit × 5 years

Cap hit is the average annual charge against the salary cap, not a yearly salary; cap value is cap hit times the years of the deal, not a reported total. As of 1 Oct 2026.


With Buffalo

Six seasons · 2020-21 to 2025-26
Franchise record

4th in franchise wins since 1990-91

since 1990-91 · regular season

Wins944th for Buffalo
Shutouts84th
Games played192101st
Team history

Career

Regular season and playoffs
Career · regular season

Six seasons, all with the Sabres

Career · regular season

SeasonTeamGPWLOTLGAASV%SO
2020-21BUF41303.88.9060
2021-22BUF92522.74.9170
2022-23BUF33171143.61.8920
2023-24BUF54272242.57.9105
2024-25BUF55242453.20.8872
2025-26BUF3522932.52.9101
Career1909374182.96.9008

Season rows reconcile with the official career totals.

Draft

2017Buffalo · round 2#54
Games6
Record3-3
Save %.876
Shutouts0
Career page

Updated after every final · through 6 Oct