Player Discussion Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (2017, 54th)

[Ranksu]

UPL is going to stud at NHL. You guys have goldmine in your hands.

 

[MrMaster]

The hip surgery that gave Thatcher Demko a new life

There are kids that are getting preemptive hip surgery because of the issues that so much time in the butterfly is causing.

It's like the preemptive Tommy John surgery epidemic in baseball.

This stuff is why early sport specialization is a bad idea. But, FOMO leads parents and kids to ignore all the evidence.

If you think of the danger of professional sport in general, ice hockey being up there amongst the most dangerous, it is astounding how ignorant parents seem to be to those facts, at least quite a few. Especially since ice hockey is a sport, unlike soccer for example, where you have to invest and prepare, you make a much more conscious choice towards potential head injuries, face demolition, etc.

 

[joshjull]

 

[joshjull]

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

Wolves’ Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen voted Red Tilson Trophy winner as OHL’s Most Outstanding Player of the Year – Ontario Hockey League

 

[SabresSharks]

You never know with young goalies, but that's still a laudable achievement.

 

[Tatre]

Take the Amerks to the Calder Cup next year? Looking forward to see how he does with high expectations.

 

[Buffalo Norsemen]

In his speech I hope he thanks the coaches and team for overplaying him and taking years off of his playing career. Hopefully he does not need hip replacement when he is 60

 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[Chainshot]

A forgone conclusion that he'd be a first-team all-star since he was already awarded Outstanding Player honors:

 

[Taro Tsujimoto]

Congrats, UPL!

 

[Tatre]

Great job, 6K.

Some twitter people actually want him to play in the nhl next season, huh

 

[old kummelweck]

Wow. Is he up and around after that surgery?

 

[Der Jaeger]

Wow. Is he up and around after that surgery?

A lot of goalies get it. It doesn’t take as long as you’d think to overcome.

 

[Duddy]

He looks really happy

 

[TehDoak]

I gotta think UPL is our starter before the end of next season.

 

[Jim Bob]

I gotta think UPL is our starter before the end of next season.

I highly doubt that unless it is due to injury.

 

[Ralonzo]

He looks really happy

New diet? If there's a market for German Shepherds there should be a market for Scandinavian Goalies, amirite?

 

[tsujimoto74]

I gotta think UPL is our starter before the end of next season.

I'd be surprised if he plays any NHL games next year except if/when one of our NHL goalies is injured. He's among the best goaltending prospects out there right now, but the development curve is longer for goalies than skaters, and even the best are tough to predict/project. Especially with the hip surgery and him likely needing to make some adjustments in his game to deal with that, I think he's due for a full year in Rochester.

 

[Team Cozens]

I'd be surprised if he plays any NHL games next year except if/when one of our NHL goalies is injured. He's among the best goaltending prospects out there right now, but the development curve is longer for goalies than skaters, and even the best are tough to predict/project. Especially with the hip surgery and him likely needing to make some adjustments in his game to deal with that, I think he's due for a full year in Rochester.

He would be in the same position as Carter Hart who was drafted in almost the exact same draft spot in the year prior.
I do agree that it would take either an injury (which he has) or potential incredible run with Rochester to get UPL up to the show however.

 

[Tsyolin]

I gotta think UPL is our starter before the end of next season.

Well boy do I have some bad news for you.

He looks really happy

He's gotten really good at hiding his teeth.

 

[Chainshot]

Seems to reinforce that UPL will not be back in Sudbury:

 

[Tsyolin]

Seems to reinforce that UPL will not be back in Sudbury:

I don't think him coming back to Sudbury was ever in the conversation about 3 quarters of the way through the season. He'll be in Rochester rom the get-go and probably spend most of the season as a backup, barring him taking the starting job by force. Hopefully he doesn't miss too much time.

 

[Chainshot]

I don't think him coming back to Sudbury was ever in the conversation about 3 quarters of the way through the season. He'll be in Rochester rom the get-go and probably spend most of the season as a backup, barring him taking the starting job by force. Hopefully he doesn't miss too much time.

Agreed. Having two contracted goalies on long-term rehab from surgery muddies up the Amerk netminding situation. We would think UPL will be in Rochester on a managed workload like Ullmark was a few years ago when he was recovering from his hip surgeries. But that also means they need an organizational #3 to handle AHL duty and injury recall if necessary -- vet starter type, improving on Wedgewood -- as well as someone who can swing from AHL to ECHL as the backup. I'm curious if Hauser gets that job, with how he tore it up in Cincy he seems like as deserving a candidate as any, but he should also be getting looks from teams elsewhere due to that performance.

 

[Buffaloed]