'He has swagger' | Sabres taking notice of Luukkonen's presence in net

Seamus Kotyk first witnessed Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen's unflappable demeanor on the hour-long drive from Hämeenlinna to Lempäälä.
Kotyk, after three years as a scout with the Sabres, was in his first season as the organization's goaltending development coach. The Sabres, with their second-round selection, had made Luukkonen the second goaltender taken during that year's NHL Draft.
Luukkonen played 27 games that season - one for HPK of the Finnish Elite League, two for the organization's under-20 team, and 24 for LeKi, a team in the country's second-tier pro league.

Kotyk accompanied Luukkonen - 18 years old and living on his own - on a typical day, which began with practice in the morning for HPK. After that, the goalie worked out, had a break for studies, and then made the roughly hour-long drive from Hämeenlinna to Lempäälä, the town of roughly 23,000 where LeKi is based. He had another round of off-ice training with the club, then another practice in the evening.
The situation was less than ideal for a developing prospect.
"When I saw that, it was like, 'This kid, he's never going to break,'" Kotyk said by phone this week. "That would have folded a lot of people, or it would have allowed for negativity to creep in and be like, 'This isn't right.' … He never complained. He just worked and worked and worked."
Kotyk has worked closely with Luukkonen every step of the way since then, from the record-setting season in Sudbury that earned him Player of the Year recognition by the OHL to his deliberate progression as a pro, from Cincinnati to Rochester and now to Buffalo.
There have been speedbumps - including double hip surgery in 2019 - but Kotyk's belief in Luukkonen's future never wavered.
"It's kind of like you watched him grow up and live his dream, and that's what I'm most proud of for him is just the maturity," Kotyk said. "It was five years, roughly. It's a big investment from everybody. He's not there yet, but he's showing what he's capable of. I'm just excited for him and for our organization for when he's at the peak of his performance. That's what I'm excited for."
Video: AFTER PRACTICE: Luukkonen
Luukkonen has a .927 save percentage in seven starts since being recalled to Buffalo on Dec. 6. That number ranks 10th among NHL goalies who have appeared in more than one game this season. Per 60 minutes, his goals saved above average at all strengths (0.60) ranks eighth among such goalies.
After allowing exactly two goals in each of his first five starts, Luukkonen returned from the long holiday break and allowed four goals in a loss to New Jersey. He appeared as confident as ever in his next start, using his 6-foot-5, 217-pound frame to challenge shooters at the top of the crease. Don Granato praised him as the best player on the ice in the overtime loss.
"What I was most excited about was his body language, his confidence," Granato said that night. "He made it look easy. He made shooters look like they had to work harder than he had to work because of his positioning, athleticism and size and those things."
Added forward Alex Tuch: "His consistency at such a young age, his poise, and his compete is something that's really surprised me and it's honestly been really good for our team."
It's that presence that coaches and teammates talk about most, more than the Luukkonen's size or highlight-reel saves. Rochester Americans coach Seth Appert mentioned it ahead of the Prospects Challenge in the fall, as did Granato last season after Luukkonen allowed a goal on the first shot he faced in his NHL debut before going on to win the game against the Bruins.
Kotyk has another moment that stands out in that regard. It was overtime in the quarterfinal round of the 2018 World Junior Championship against host country Canada. Max Comtois - now a forward for the Anaheim Ducks - was awarded a penalty shot.
Luukkonen calmly stuck with Comtois and made a pad save. Finland won the game and the gold medal, with Luukkonen earning a spot on the all-tournament team.
Tweet from @TSN_Sports: 🇨🇦's Maxime Comtois is denied by 🇫🇮's Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen\ on the penalty shot. #CANvsFIN #WorldJuniors #REPRESENT pic.twitter.com/Q15GFGyP77
"That was a big-stage moment where I first realized, like, this kid's going to do it," Kotyk said. "He's a guy who has a presence. He's big, he has those broad shoulders. It's like a quiet swagger, in a way. He has confidence, he has swagger, but it's not cocky and it's not in your face."
It's a point of pride for Luukkonen to instill confidence in his teammates.
"Getting to know the guys here gives me confidence," he said. "I'm really happy if I'm able to help them and give them some confidence to play as a team."
Henri Jokiharju was on the ice with the team after a precautionary absence on Tuesday. He skated on a defense pair with Rasmus Dahlin.
Granato announced that defenseman Jacob Bryson, who entered COVID protocol on Dec. 29, has returned to the team facility but will not be available to play against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday. Drake Caggiula, who has been practicing a yellow non-contact jersey due to an upper-body injury, will also be unavailable, meaning the Sabres will need to recall a 12th forward for tomorrow's game.
Here's how the group lined up for practice.
| January 5 | | --- | | LW | C | RW | | 53 Jeff Skinner | 72 Tage Thompson | 71 Victor Olofsson | | 74 Rasmus Asplund | 24 Dylan Cozens | 29 Vinnie Hinostroza | | 57 Brett Murray | 17 Mark Jankowski | 28 Zemgus Girgensons | | 91 Drake Caggiula | 20 Cody Eakin | 15 John Hayden | | LD | RD | G | | 26 Rasmus Dahlin | 10 Henri Jokiharju | 1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | | 4 Will Butcher | 13 Mark Pysyk | 47 Malcom Subban | | 6 Ethan Prow | 33 Colin Miller | 31 Dustin Tokarski |