NHL Status Report: Luukkonen expected to start for Sabres on Thursday

Sep 30, 2026, 1:52 PM ET|Comments (0)

from NHL.com,

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is expected to start for the Sabres in their season opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; CBJNHL, CBJHN, MSG-B). The goalie had been dealing with a lower-body injury after tweaking something in a preseason game on Sept 26. ... Defenseman Olen Zellweger will not play Thursday; he has been in concussion protocol since Sept. 22. Coach Lindy Ruff did not rule him out for the game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday. ... Mattias Samuelsson practiced Wednesday and Ruff said "hopefully he's an option for us tomorrow." The defenseman was injured in a preseason game on Sept. 22 after blocking a shot and had been listed as week to week with a lower-body injury.

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