BUFFALO, N.Y. —There were a few Sabres who were supposed to stand out at the Prospects Challenge. They did.
The next step is harder. They have to shine against NHL players. Their chance is coming soon.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Jack Quinn and Brett Murray will head to Buffalo’s training camp Wednesday feeling good about their games. They were three of the top players during this weekend’s Prospects Challenge, even in limited showings. Luukkonen shut out New Jersey on Friday in his lone appearance, which featured Quinn playing key roles at five-on-five, on the power play and during penalty kills. Murray was a force against the Devils and followed it up Saturday against Boston.
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“I came in with the mindset that I want to be the best player out there,” said Murray, who was the catalyst on four of Buffalo’s five goals. “I’m one of the older guys. I have the experience and I have the confidence. So, yeah, I expected it.”
The 23-year-old recorded a goal and assist during the 3-0 win over the Devils and matched that output in a 5-2 loss to the Bruins. He also effectively used his 6-foot-5, 228-pound frame, parking himself at the top of the crease and dissuading opponents from continuing their chippy play against teammates.
Murray will have to continue that during the preseason to make the Sabres. He finished last season in Buffalo, playing his first two NHL games during the final weekend, but competition awaits. In addition to Murray, Buffalo’s left wingers include Jeff Skinner, Anders Bjork, Rasmus Asplund, Zemgus Girgensons and Drake Caggiula, while Victor Olofsson and Tage Thompson can also slide over from the right side.
Murray led Rochester last season with 20 points in 27 games, so he hopes his resume and point-filled tournament catapult him toward the next level.
“I’ve been able to improve every aspect of my game: speed, skill, hockey IQ,” Murray said. “I’ve adapted my game to my size more.”
He definitely enters camp with an edge over his competition in height and weight.
“I was really happy with his performance right from the first shift,” said Rochester coach Seth Appert, who led the Sabres prospect team. “It was a real statement that he made that this kid, he’s going to keep coming.”
Luukkonen will be one of four goalies fighting for two spots on the opening-night roster. Veteran Craig Anderson is favored for one job, leaving Luukkonen to battle journeyman Dustin Tokarski and Aaron Dell.
The 22-year-old gave the coaches a nice opening impression, stopping all 22 shots by the Devils.
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“His presence was huge,” Appert said. “He made it look easy.”
Appert repeatedly mentioned a “swagger” that the 6-4, 220-pound Luukkonen carries to the crease. It was on display, particularly during point-blank saves on sniper Alexander Holtz, the Devils’ first-round pick in 2020.
Luukkonen said the four-game NHL cameo he got near the end of last season carried him through the summer with a new kind of training.
“Once there’s a chance or a play to be made, it happens really fast,” Luukkonen said. “You have to be really fast. You have to be in control of your body. You’ve really got to scramble a lot because guys can lift the puck, even from close, so you kind of just spread your legs and hope that it hits you.
“Being able to move better … all the positioning will come as long as you can move, so that was the biggest thing we worked on.”
Ideally, the Sabres would let Luukkonen become a workhorse in Rochester before giving him a home in Buffalo. But if he outshines Dell and Tokarski, he’ll get a spot. Luukkonen shut down his age group, putting him in the right mindset to face veterans.
“Once you feel like you can play a certain level of game, you get the swagger and you feel like the game slows down in front of you,” he said. “I’m happy that the first one is out of the way for the season and I get to look forward to camp.”
Quinn, who is coming off hernia surgery, sat out Saturday’s finale for “load management,” Appert said. While the 19-year-old didn’t reach the score sheet against the Devils, he played well in all situations as the No. 1 center. He was the first forward over the boards for penalty kills and played the slot on Buffalo’s power-play unit.
The 2020 first-round pick faces a tougher challenge than Murray and Luukkonen. Quinn has only 15 games of pro experience and is learning a new position after being drafted as a wing. But the Sabres are light down the middle with Casey Mittelstadt, Dylan Cozens, Arttu Ruotsalainen and Cody Eakin penciled into the top-four spots, so Quinn can’t be ruled out.
With the Prospects Challenge done, camp is coming soon.
“I’m certainly proud of the way that our young kids battled,” Appert said. “Our top prospects showed why they’re top prospects.”
(Photo of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Steve Babineau / NHLI via Getty Images file)
John Vogl is a senior editor for The Athletic on the universal desk. A sports reporter since 1998, he covered the Sabres for over 20 years. An award-winning journalist, he has also covered minor-league hockey in Georgia, Auburn University football and taught copy editing at Buffalo State College. Follow John on Twitter @BuffaloVogl
