3 Buffalo Sabres who might see a performance dip next season feat. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

By Nestor Quixtan

Modified Sep 03, 2024 03:08 GMT

The Buffalo Sabres will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2023-24 season in which they missed the playoffs for the 13th season in a row.

While there are some bright spots to look forward to, there’s also reason to believe that some players may regress next season.

So, let’s take a look at three Buffalo Sabres who may see a decline in their overall performance next season.

3 Buffalo Sabres who might see a performance dip next season

#3) Alex Tuch

Tuch led the Buffalo Sabres in scoring last year with 59 points in 75 games. Overall, it was a good year for Tuch. However, the season marked a significant regression after putting up 36 goals and 79 points in 2022-23.

As such, last year’s point totals could be an indication that his career high of 79 was more of an outlier than an indicator of future performance.

In fact, fans shouldn’t be surprised to see Tuch fall back to more career-average numbers like 20 goals and 40-50 points.

While there’s a chance that Tuch could have another great season, it’s quite plausible his numbers may resemble his 2018-19 totals in which he scored 20 goals and 32 assists for 52 points.

#2) Tage Thompson

Thompson was a revelation in 2022-23, scoring 47 goals and topping 90 points. The nearly 30-point jump over his career-high point total was an encouraging sign that Thompson had finally evolved into the player everyone expected.

However, last season’s dip to 29 goals and 56 points seemed more in line with this career average. As such, fans should not rule out a further decline for Thompson. While he could easily top 20 goals again this upcoming season, it’s quite plausible that Thompson may not surpass the 50-point mark.

#1) Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Luukkonen was last year’s revelation for the Buffalo Sabres. He emerged as the No. 1 goaltender for the team, prompting the Sabres to sign him to a substantial contract extension this off-season.

In 54 games last season, Luukkonen posted a 2.57 GAA and a .910 SV%. Those numbers were a substantial shift from 2022-23’s numbers when Luukkonen posted a 3.61 GAA and an .892 SV%.

While it could be argued that Luukkonen has finally figured everything out, his numbers could still regress to somewhere between 2022-23 and 2023-24.

Of course, Luukkonen could turn a corner and become the top-tier netminder the Sabres hope he becomes. But more realistic expectations should be in order for Luukkonen next season.

At 25, Luukkonen still has plenty of room to grow. So, it remains to be seen how well he follows up last year’s impressive performance.