Luukkonen - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres preseason: Buffalo loses another player to injury, gets one back

BUFFALO – Another day, another injury for the Sabres.

Coach Lindy Ruff said this morning winger Zach Benson has “a little bit of an ailment that we’re keeping him off the ice for.” He said the injury is only a “short-term thing.”

Benson joins defensemen Mattias Samuelsson (upper body) and Owen Power (strain) and forwards Jordan Greenway (mid body) and Noah Ostlund (undisclosed) on the sideline.... Read the full article

Sabres lose Owen Power to injury; Jiri Kulich ready to play

BUFFALO – Make that three injured defensemen for the Sabres.

Coach Lindy Ruff said Owen Power missed Tuesday’s practice with a strain and is day to day. He joins defensemen Bowen Byram and Mattias Samuelsson on the sideline.

Ruff said Byram, who suffered an undisclosed injury in Saturday afternoon’s exhibition game, skated on his own Tuesday. Samuelsson is week to week with an upper-body injury.... Read the full article

Sabres’ Alex Tuch ready for preseason debut; Mattias Samuelsson injured

BUFFALO – Sabres winger Alex Tuch, who missed the first two days of training camp with an undisclosed injury, will be making his preseason debut this afternoon against the Detroit Red Wings, coach Lindy Ruff said.

Meanwhile, defenseman Mattias Samuelsson could miss the game after sitting out Friday’s practice with an upper-body injury.

“We’ll have him evaluated,” Ruff said following the session in KeyBank Center. “He had a good practice yesterday, and maybe that ... Read the full article

Sabres preseason: goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen practices; Jiri Kulich injured

BUFFALO – Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen knows if the Sabres hope to end their embarrassing 14-year playoff drought, he must bounce back following a disappointing season in which he often struggled and briefly lost his starting job.

It can be argued no player is more integral to the Sabres’ success than Luukkonen, who failed to build on his breakout 2023-24 campaign and sat out late-season games when journeyman James Reimer took over the net.

So it ... Read the full article

After trade, career-worst season, goalie Alexandar Georgiev excited for fresh chance with Sabres

BUFFALO – Following a perfect 40-minute outing in the preseason opener, Sabres goalie Alexandar Georgiev will likely start again tonight in Detroit or Saturday afternoon at home against the Red Wings.

One week into training camp, No. 1 goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen hasn’t practiced. In the coming days, if he doesn’t return from his lower-body injury he recently tweaked, his status for the season opener Oct. 9 could be in question.

Each day the Finn misses ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Bowen Byram aware of trade rumors during summer; Mason Geertsen Buffalo’s new ‘enforcer’

BUFFALO – You bet Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram heard his name repeatedly materialize in trade rumors during the offseason.

“I feel like I’ve been in trade rumors since I first came into the league,” Byram said Monday morning in KeyBank Center. “It’s not anything new for me. I definitely see them and whatever. But at the end of that day, I have a job to do in the summer, which is prepare for the upcoming ... Read the full article

Sabres preseason: Radim Mrtka set to debut, Alexandar Georgiev to start

BUFFALO – Bo, meet Radim. Radim, meet Bo. Now go out and play together.

In the opening days of training camp, the Sabres kept the players expected to comprise their NHL roster in one practice group. So defenseman Bowen Byram said he hadn’t met rookie Radim Mrtka until this morning.

Tonight, Byram will be tasked with skating alongside Mrtka, 18, in his NHL preseason debut on the road against the Columbus Blue Jackets.... Read the full article

After trade to Sabres, Conor Timmins could have career-changing chance

BUFFALO – OK, time for a quick pop quiz, Sabres fans. Does defenseman Conor Timmins’ career goal total eclipse the number of teams he has played for since breaking into the NHL in 2019-20?

The answer, of course, is yes, although by a slim margin. Timmins, a native of nearby St. Catharines, Ontario, has scored six goals in his 159-game career and played for five teams. He has been traded four times, including twice earlier ... Read the full article

Sabres hopeful Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen won’t be injured long; Jordan Greenway begins training camp sidelined

BUFFALO – As training camp approached and Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen began ramping up his workouts to get into game mode, general manager Kevyn Adams said the Finn started experiencing some pain.

“He was just not able to … be strong and push and (do) the stuff that he needs to do,” Adams said Wednesday in LECOM Harborcenter as players reported to camp for physicals and testing.

Adams said Luukkonen, 26, is day to day ... Read the full article

Sabres begin season facing questions about UPL’s injury and Alex Tuch’s contract extension

BUFFALO – Maybe the Sabres’ fan base is too busy reveling in the Bills’ early-season success to pay much attention. Or perhaps, more likely, many of their supporters have lost interest in a team that owns an NHL-record 14-year playoff drought.

Whatever the case, there’s little buzz around the Sabres as they begin another season.

Players report today to KeyBank Center for physicals and testing. The first on-ice sessions will be held Thursday at LECOM ... Read the full article