The Sabres needed help in goal and have added Malcolm Subban to the mix following a Thursday trade with the Blackhawks for future considerations.
In 5 games with the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs this season Subban has a .893 save percentage and helped the team to two wins. He last played in the NHL on May 3 and was waived by the Blackhawks at the end of training camp.
Buffalo has used Craig Anderson, Aaron Dell, and Dustin Tokarski in goal this season and that trio has combined for a .913 5-on-5 save percentage (per Natural Stat Trick) and helped the Sabres to an 8-11-3 record. Anderson has been out since Nov. 2 with a lower-body injury, so it’s been Tokarski getting the heavy workload starting nine of their last 13 games.
Subban, a pending unrestricted free agent can be looked at as a short-term upgrade over Dell, with Subban and Tokarski handling the crease duties until Anderson is healthy. This also means that Sabres prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen can remain in AHL Rochester and get regular playing time.
[Hockey Culture: Malcolm Subban on growing up in a hockey family, supporting Dumba]
EBUG night for Blues, Blue Jackets
Jordan Binnington tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday and that has thrown the Blues into a bit of a predicament. Charlie Lindgren was called up from AHL Springfield but due to salary constraints he cannot join the roster until Friday. Until then, it will be 23-year-old Kyle Konin serving as emergency backup behind Ville Husso.
"[Head coach] Craig [Berube] and I talked to him about 20 minutes ago and had a good conversation,” said Blues general manager Doug Armstrong. “He had a morning skate today with his beer league guys and he said he was on fire and ready to go. So we’re excited to have him in here.”
Binnington’s positive test is expected to keep him out for 10 days, forcing him to miss six games.
Konin last played for Grand Valley State University in Michigan in 2019-20
Meanwhile, with Elvis Merzlikins and Joonas Korpisalo sick with non-COVID-19 illnesses, Daniil Tarasov is expected to make his NHL debut Thursday night in Dallas. Just in case Merzlikins cannot serve as the team’s backup, Stars’ EBUG, 36-year-old Casey Sherwood, will work the bench door with Tarasov in net.
When approached for comment on the goaltenders, #CBJ John Davidson says “Manny Legace’s going in next, and then I’m up.”
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) December 2, 2021
(NHL rules state that teams must have an EBUG in attendance at every home game who can come in for either team.)
According to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline, Sherwood had a beer league game scheduled for Thursday night. Safe to say, he can cancel those plans.
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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.