Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - The Buffalo Sabres have avoided arbitration with their No. 1 goalie on Wednesday, as they agreed to terms with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen on a new five-year contract that will count $4.75 million per-year against the salary cap.
The money is just about where I thought it would be for the goaltender, who has played 100 NHL games and 69 AHL games. I didn’t think, though, he’d want to wrap himself up for five years. I was thinking two or three years for Luukkonen's next contract.
Luukkonen was a healthy scratch to start last season, as Devon Levi was handed the starting job and played the first four games until he was injured. Eric Comrie played the next two games before Luukkonen started in Game 7 of the season against the Ottawa Senators. He made 38 saves on 42 shots faced, and beat the Senators.
From that point, Luukkonen never looked back.
Luukkonen finished the season with a 27-22-4 record, a 2.57 goals-against average, a .910 save percentage and five shutouts. Luukkonen’s goals-against average was ninth in the NHL, as was his save percentage.
The 25-year-old's five shutouts was one behind Sergei Bobrovsky, Tristan Jarry, Connor Ingram and Charlie Lindgren for the league lead.
While Luukkonen has established himself as the Sabres' No. 1 goalie, it’s not known who his backup will be this year.
Levi had a great second half to the season, leading the Rochester Americans from almost being out of the playoffs to a tie for first place in the North Division.
Buffalo also signed 36-year-old veteran James Reimer in free agency. Reimer played 25 games with the Detroit Red Wings last season, going 11-8-2 with a 3.11 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage.
Reimer hasn’t played in the AHL since the 2010-11 season when he was with the Toronto Marlies for 15 games.
It will be an interesting development to see which of the two goalies will start in Buffalo and Rochester come October.
