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 with a lower-body injury, although he could be sidelined a little longer. He possibly won’t participate in the first sessions of camp today.
“Everything the doctors are telling me and everything that even in the last few days, the steps he’s making, leave me optimistic that we’ll be seeing him sooner rather than later,” Adams said. “But we’ll know more in a few days.”
Adams said imaging came back clean and Luukkonen, who’s rehabbing, doesn’t need surgery. He said he has no pain walking around or in the weight room.
“There’s no alarms right now saying that it’s a significant injury,” he said. “… But there was a tweak that he didn’t feel great. So we just have to make sure we protect ourselves.”
The Sabres added insurance and depth last Thursday by signing veteran Alexandar Georgiev to a one-year contract.
“We thought (he) could come in and provide internal competition,” Adams said.
Georgiev, 29, led the NHL in wins in 2022-23 (40) and 2023-24 (38) with the Colorado Avalanche. Still, he struggled mightily last season with Colorado and the hapless San Jose Sharks. There were reasons he was available in early September.
Last year, among goalies who played at least 20 games, his wretched .875 save percentage ranked 61st in the NHL.
“I just think the nature of the position, there’s a lot of variability,” Adams said of the highs and lows Georgiev has endured. “There’s a handful of goalies in the world that they’re there every year. … He’s had success in the league, he’s proven that. …
“I just felt like organizationally, when you can add someone like that, especially with a little bit of the unknown on exactly where UPL will be, it was the right thing to do.”
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff knows Georgiev well, having spent three seasons coaching him with the New York Rangers. Ruff said he had several long conversations with the Bulgarian before the Sabres inked him.
“I think his head is in the right place, and I think he’s a guy that we needed protection and he’ll give us that,” he said.
Right now, Luukkonen isn’t the only injured player.
Adams said winger Jordan Greenway, who underwent surgery to repair a mid-body injury in December, suffered a setback and had a second surgery in mid-July. The Canton native has been rehab skating and won’t be ready for the start of camp.
“The timeline for Jordan would be somewhere around opening night,” Adams said. “But that doesn’t mean playing, that just means cleared and ready to go.”
The injury dogged Greenway, 28, throughout last season, limiting him to a career-low 34 games. He returned from his first surgery Feb. 22 before playing his final game March 23.
Meanwhile, Adams said Tuch, 29, is day to day with an undisclosed injury. He could be sidelined today.
“Just a little bit of a minor thing,” he said.
Adams reiterated the Sabres want to sign Tuch, who’s beginning the final season of his contract, to an extension.
“I’d say that Alex has been told very clearly by myself and the organization how important he is to us,” he said. “We want him here long term. The good news is that he’s said the exact same thing about being here. He wants to be here. He’s made it clear to me and to us.”
Adams said he’s had “good, productive conversations” with Tuch’s agents this summer.
“These things take time,” he said. “We’re gonna work through it.”
Adams said he plans to talk to Tuch’s camp in the coming days. He won’t put a deadline on getting a deal done.
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The Sabres recently placed Adam Mair, their director of player development, on administrative leave after the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office charged him with three felonies and three misdemeanors, including aggravated driving while intoxicated with a child in the vehicle and endangering the welfare of a child, according to WGRZ.
Mair, 46, was arrested Sept. 4 in Pittsford after rear-ending another vehicle, according to WGRZ.
“I’m wishing him all the best,” Adams said. “I can’t really say much more than that. But we do have a plan internally in terms of just making sure we have coverage in terms of our prospects.”
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Adams said defense prospect Radim Mrtka, the ninth overall pick this year, is eligible to play for the Rochester Americans this season.
The Czech, 18, joined the junior Seattle Thunderbirds last season after playing pro at home.
Most Canadian Hockey League players can’t play regularly in the AHL until they’re 20. Mrtka, however, was loaned to Seattle, making him eligible.
Adams said the Sabres will discuss where they assign Mrtka.
“I do like the situation he has in junior in Seattle,” he said.