Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s status has been shrouded in mystery since just before the start of training camp earlier this month, when GM Kevyn Adams opted to sign veteran goalie Alexandar Georgiev as an insurance policy, but after indicating earlier this week that he was making progress and starting to feel better, Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff revealed that his starting goalie would practice for the first time on Thursday.
"(Luukkonen will) practice a full practice today. (We are) hopeful he gets through these couple practices and we'll just start playing him." Ruff said.
The 26-year-old goalie had a lower-body injury that he was having issues with just before reporting to camp, which gave Sabres management enough pause to sign Georgiev, who started for Colorado and San Jose last season to a one-year, $825,000 one-way contract. The Bulgarian netminder has played in both of Buffalo’s pre-season games against Columbus and will go the entire game for the Sabres in Detroit on Thursday.
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"It was really fun (to practice). It does suck when you're skating on your own. The best part of training camp is always being with the guys, So it was really fun to be on the ice." Lukkonen said. "It was a lower-body thing which kind of flared up at the end of the summer, and we kind of just been trying to get it under control and get me back on the ice. It's feeling better now......(It happened) over time when we began to practice in the summer."
Luukkonen said that he is confident that he will be able to be ready for the start of the regular season.
Forward Jiri Kulich was part of the practice group that was to depart for the Motor City Thursday morning, but the sophomore forward left the ice with what was described as a muscle tweak. Kulich left the ice and was replaced by Tyson Kozak on a unit with Josh Doan and Jack Quinn. Ruff indicated that he did not think it was anything serious and that Kulich would at most miss a day or two of practice.
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