Each goalie was injured in a 6-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday. Luukkonen is week to week with a lower-body injury, and Subban is month to month with an upper-body injury.
Luukkonen was 2-5-2 with a 2.74 goals-against average and .917 save percentage in nine starts; Subban was 0-2-1 with a 4.85 GAA and .871 save percentage in four games (three starts). He was acquired in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks on Dec. 2.
"You know, in both cases we get the news this morning that definitively this is the situation, or late last night, and you just adjust and acclimate to it," Sabres coach Don Granato said Wednesday. "... And now you're down your No. 1 goalie, No. 2, whatever it is, on and on, you have to pay attention to a little bit more detail defensively to support. You have to support a little differently obviously."
Buffalo recalled
Aaron Dell
from Rochester of the American Hockey League on Wednesday and signed
Michael Houser
to a one-year, $750,000 contract.
Dell was 0-5-0 with a 4.52 GAA and .872 save percentage in seven games (four starts) with Buffalo before he was sent to Rochester, where he was 5-0-0. Granato said Dell is likely to start at the Nashville Predators on Thursday.
Houser signed with the Sabres last season when they dealt with goalie injuries. He won his first two starts and was 2-2-0 with a 3.46 goals-against average and .901 save percentage in four starts.
"When we've been good against top teams in the league," Granato said. "We've limited time and space, and that has to continue to be our focus and we have to recalibrate after last night and it kind of goes hand in hand with the goaltending situation. So Houser was an inspiration last year and did exceptionally well. He's an overachiever and that's exactly what we're about right now and what we need. So that's a fit.
"And Dell, I got to see Dell play a great game in Rochester last Friday (28 saves in a 5-2 win against Hartford) that he looked like a different guy. I'm not so sure we saw him and what he is. You know, he struggled early. There's no question. But I think he is better than he showed and he's shown going to Rochester that he looks like a different guy. He even looked like a different guy at practice. So the hope is that that's the case, that he's feeling a little bit better about his game and comfortable and confident. And we'll see."
Dell said if he does start against the Predators, the Sabres will have to navigate the atmosphere at Bridgestone Arena.
"It's always crazy there," he said. "It's one of those places, their crowd is definitely a big factor. You have to be able to kill that a little bit. Sometimes you have to be able to weather the storm at the beginning, just kind of get through it. That's going to have to be part of the plan."
Goalie Craig Anderson has not played since Nov. 2 because of an upper-body injury and is month to month. He was 4-2-0 with a 2.50 GAA and .921 save percentage in six starts.
Buffalo has used five goalies this season. Dustin Tokarski (4-5-3, 3.28 GAA, .903 save percentage in 14 games) has not played since Nov. 29. He was placed in COVID-19 protocol Dec. 2 and is week to week.
The Sabres (10-19-6) are sixth in the Atlantic Division.
NHL.com independent correspondent Heather Engel contributed to this report
