The Buffalo Sabres took care of some of their offseason business on Tuesday, agreeing to a two-year, $2.7 million contract extension with forward Beck Malenstyn before the two sides went to salary arbitration, but the club still faces a similar situation with goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, whose arbitration hearing is scheduled for Monday.
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Malenstyn was acquired from Washington for a second-round pick on June 29th and did not have a great deal of leverage going into arbitration, coming off his first full NHL season (6 goals, 15 assists in 81 games) after three seasons splitting time between AHL Hershey and the NHL Capitals.
Luukkonen coming off a career-high 51 starts, in which he posted a 27-22-4 record, 2.57 GAA, and .910 save % in the final year of a two-year, $1.675 million bridge deal. Sabres GM Kevyn Adams last month that he spoke to the 25-year-old after the season and believes that they are on the same page in terms of wanting to continue his career in Buffalo, but up to this point, the club and his agent Markus Lehto have been unable to agree on a new deal.
“Those conversations started back during the season in March or so,” Adams said. “(Ukko-Pekka) made it very clear he loves this team, loves the city, he wants to be here. We’re excited about him, and we’re going to work at it. We’re continuing to have conversations…. (and) there’ll be some more.”
As with Malenstyn, most of the players who opt for arbitration reach a settlement before a decision is made, but the risk with Luukkonen is that he is two years away from unrestricted free agency and it is possible that prior to Monday’s hearing, we hear that the two sides have a agreed to a long-term extension. Signing him to a one-year deal gives him the opportunity to make his negotiating position stronger next summer, with the possibility of becoming a UFA in 2026.
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