Rangers scout spotted at Sabres-Canadiens game as Friedman points to Shesterkin replacement

The Rangers are quietly doing homework on the goalie market, and a Buffalo starter may be on the list.

Elliotte Friedman said on Thursday's 32 Thoughts podcast that Rangers goaltending scout Scott Clemmensen was at Tuesday's Sabres and Canadiens game in Montreal.

Friedman assumes Clemmensen was there to watch Luukkonen.

Friedman added that people around the league expect Clemmensen to show up at more games over the next few weeks.

That points to a team in research mode, not panic mode.

The Rangers announced that Igor Shesterkin will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury, and Joonas Korpisalo is also hurt.

Dylan Garand has stabilized things with a .951 save percentage through four games, which gives GM Chris Drury some breathing room.

Friedman compared Drury to Santa Claus, building a list and checking it twice.

Luukkonen is an interesting name because his season started rough.

He posted a .782 save percentage across his first three starts.

Then came Tuesday, when he stopped 35 of 38 shots, including a big save with five seconds left in regulation, even though the Sabres lost 4-3 in a shootout and fell to 3-3-1.

The 27-year-old is signed long term at a $4.75M cap hit, so he would not be a short rental.

Last season he went 22-9-3 with a .910 save percentage in 35 games.

Nothing suggests a deal is close.

Scouting a goalie is not the same as making an offer, and Buffalo has its own reasons to hold on, with Alex Lyon dealing with an upper-body injury.

Still, with Clemmensen on the road, this storyline is worth watching closely over the next few weeks, especially for Sabres fans.

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