Major network snubbing Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen from a recent ranking was a colossal lapse in judgment
The NHL Network recently snubbed Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen from their top 10 goaltenders list following his breakout season.
The NHL Network recently snubbed Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen from their top 10 goaltenders list following his breakout season.
Apr 11, 2024; Buffalo, New York, USA; Washington Capitals right wing Tom Wilson (43) tries to deflect a shot as Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (1) makes a save during the first period at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports / Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
You can’t help but ask yourself how the NHL Network managed to get this one wrong. Recently, they ranked the league’s top 10 goaltenders, and despite his breakout season and his propensity for keeping the Buffalo Sabres in far more games than they should have been in last season, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen didn’t even grace the top 10.
Now, to be frank, the list wasn’t that impressive in any sense, as the network listed Igor Shesterkin of the NY Rangers at No. 1, even if Connor Hellebuyck was by far the league’s best goaltender. And if you notice in the image from X below, you’ll see the phrase, “Top 10 Goalies Right Now,” so it’s not like this list is career-based, or at least it wasn’t the implication that I picked up.
You look at the list above, and you can’t help but shake your head. Andrei Vasilevskiy was inconsistent after he missed a portion of the season, Ilya Sorokin struggled through his worst season yet, and neither Jake Oettinger nor Juuse Saros were as consistent as Luukkonen.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen deserved a spot in the NHL Network’s Top 10
As it stands, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen could ultimately be the next Dominik Hasek/Ryan Miller, and no, before you jump to a specific conclusion, I’m not talking about from a statistical standpoint - even if he did make a Hasek-like save last year. What I mean is, neither Hasek nor Miller had great teams to work with, as you can count on one hand how many elite squads they were playing behind.This is especially true for Hasek, as neither the 1997-98 nor even the 1998-99 team were that good by any stretch. They got hot in the playoffs, but there’s no way you can sit there and say they were dominant hockey teams. The 1996-97 team won the Northeast, but they faltered in the playoffs.
Ditto for Miller, as if you take out the 2005-06 and 2006-07 teams, he faced the same thing. Both were decorated goaltenders, especially Hasek, but still, how much more respect would they have gotten had the teams they played for been better for longer stretches of time. There’s a good chance Hasek would have set records that would be nearly impossible to break.
Despite his accomplishments, at this moment, Luukkonen, who had five shutouts, a 0.910 save percentage, and a 2.57 GAA, among other awesome stats, could be staring down the same career path as Hasek and Miller. He deserved to be on that list despite playing for a bad hockey team, and he would have been a shoo-in had the Sabres been legitimate playoff contenders.