Luukkonen is expected to start between the pipes at home in Tuesday's preseason contest against the Blue Jackets, per Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550.
Luukkonen is set make his first appearance of the 2026-27 preseason after fellow netminders Alex Lyon and Colten Ellis appeared in the team's opener. The 27-year-old Luukkonen had a bounce-back season in 2025-26, where he posted a 22-9-3 record, a 2.51 GAA and a .909 save percentage across 35 regular-season outings. Head coach Lindy Ruff stated that he plans to implement a timeshare in net to start the 2026-27 campaign, which will cap Luukkonen's fantasy ceiling. However, if he can impress early on and separate himself from Lyon and Ellis, Luukkonen has proven that he can handle a large workload, which could lead to fantasy success in standard leagues.