Sabres Lose Comrie, Recall Luukkonen After Losing Their Seventh Straight

The Buffalo Sabres were riding high early in the 2022-23 season with a 7-3-0 record, and with youngsters, Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin off to red-hot starts, but concerns over the club’s goaltending have come to fruition over the last two weeks, as the tandem of Craig Anderson and Eric Comrie have been a big reason why the Sabres have lost seven straight games and fallen into seventh place in the Atlantic Division.

Anderson has allowed 12 goals in losses to Carolina, Boston, and Vancouver, while Comrie (who was signed to a two-year free agent deal last summer) has a 4-7-0 record, 3.62 GAA, .887 save % and lost four straight to Tampa Bay, Arizona, Vegas, and Ottawa.

Comrie left midway through the second period of a 4-1 loss on Wednesday after colliding with Sens forward Mathieu Joseph.

“He’s going to be out for a little bit,” said Sabres head coach Don Granato after the game, “but we obviously have to get a further look at him.”

On Thursday, recalled goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen from the Rochester Americans of the AHL. The 23-year-old played nine games with the Sabres last season (2-5-2, 2.74 GAA and .917 save percentage), but he has not put up good numbers with the Amerks.

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In nine starts, Luukonen has a 6-3-0 record, 3.07 GAA and an .898 save percentage. It is uncertain at this point how long Comrie will be out, but with Anderson being the oldest player in the NHL at 41 years old, it is likely that Luukkonen will get the bulk of the work over the next few weeks.

Buffalo’s goaltending situation was a big question mark entering the season and a big reason why they were not considered a serious threat to challenge for a playoff spot in the Atlantic. Comrie has served mostly as a backup in his seven-year NHL career with Winnipeg, New Jersey and Detroit, while Anderson was brought back on a one-year deal as a veteran stop-gap, allowing the oft-injured Luukkonen to get consistent work in Rochester.

Luukonen signed a two-year contract extension over the summer and he is waiver exempt through this season. How he performs during his recall could go a long way in determining his future with the Sabres.

The club has three promising goaltending prospects in the pipeline in Erik Portillo (Michigan), Devon Levi (Northeastern), and 2022 second-rounder Topias Leinonen (Finland), but Portillo is in his senior season with the Wolverines and may choose to become an unrestricted free agent next August if he does not sign with Buffalo after his college season ends.