Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has spent plenty of time staring down elite finishers in the NHL, but when the Buffalo Sabres goalie was asked to name the league’s best pure goal scorer, he didn’t go with the current leader in goals.
Instead, Luukkonen pointed to Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield during an appearance Tuesday on Sabres Live with Brian Duff and Marty Biron.
“It’s a tough question almost to answer now because there’s so many different type of players and guys who score in so many different ways, if you look at [Connor] McDavid and his speed. I mean, I’d say one of the guys we play a lot here, Cole Caufield.
I think he’s who I would throw out there just by pure shooting and all that. Being a shorter guy, I think - I mean, I wouldn’t know, I’m a goalie - but it feels like he can shoot the puck from so many different angles.
And, of course [Cutter] Gauthier and those guys too, but I think Caufield for me comes first to mind.”
The pick carries some weight coming from a goalie who has already made nearly 5,100 saves in seven NHL seasons, including eight against Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl, who leads the league with 18 goals early in the 2026-27 season.
Caufield has certainly built a case. The 25-year-old Wisconsin native has scored 180 goals in 386 career games, and he put up a career-best 51 last season, finishing second to Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon in the Rocket Richard Trophy race with 53.
He’s also been a problem for Buffalo. Caufield has collected 20 points - 13 goals and seven assists - in 20 regular-season games against the Sabres, then added five more points in the teams’ second-round playoff series earlier this year, when Montreal advanced in seven games.
This season, the Canadiens have already beaten Buffalo twice, once in overtime and once in a shootout. Caufield scored three goals in those two games, which may have helped shape Luukkonen’s answer.
The Sabres and Canadiens won’t have to wait long for another meeting. They’re set to face off again Dec. 18 at KeyBank Center in downtown Buffalo.
The broader picture in the Atlantic Division is just as tight. Boston sits in first place with 27 points, while Detroit is last with 17, leaving only a 10-point gap between the top and bottom of the division - the smallest in the NHL.
That kind of closeness makes every week matter, and HockeyStats.com’s current projection only sharpens the point. The outlet has Tampa Bay winning the division with 106 points, Montreal finishing second, Florida third, Boston fourth and Ottawa fifth, with Buffalo missing the playoffs by two points in sixth place. Detroit and Toronto are projected to fall short as well.
Of course, those numbers can swing quickly. Injuries, slumps and a bad stretch at the wrong time can reshape the race in a hurry, especially in a division where the margin for error is so thin.
For Buffalo and Montreal, both of whom made strong postseason runs last season, the message is clear: nothing is guaranteed in the spring. The Sabres, in particular, may need help if they want to stay in the mix. Their offense has slipped from fifth to 21st in goals scored per game, and goaltending and special teams have also been issues.
With the Atlantic packed this tightly, Buffalo general manager Jarmo Kekalainen would be taking a risk if he chooses to stand pat.
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