Sabres sign Michael Houser amid goaltending crisis

The 10-19-6 Buffalo Sabres are going to their recent past to address what's become a legitimate goaltending crisis. 

Buffalo announced Wednesday that it has signed goalie Michael Houser to a one-year contract worth $750,000. Houser spent time with the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League during the 2020-21 season until he was called up to the NHL club last spring to make his league debut. Per The Associated Press (h/t ESPN), Houser stopped 34 shots en route to helping the Sabres secure a 4-2 victory over the New York Islanders on May, becoming only the seventh goaltender in franchise history to win his first NHL start. 

Across four total starts, Houser went 2-2-0 with a .901 save percentage and a 3.46 goals-against average in May. 

The 29-year-old now joins a club in desperate need of assistance at the position, as Buffalo also recalled goaltender Aaron Dell from the Americans. Per the Sabres' website, fellow goalies Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Malcolm Subban both went down with injuries during Tuesday's loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Luukkonen has a lower-body injury and is considered week-to-week, and Subban is month-to-month with an upper-body issue.

Additionally, the AP (h/t ESPN) notes Buffalo's Craig Anderson is out indefinitely because of an upper-body injury, while Dustin Tokarski is recovering from a bout with COVID-19. 

The Sabres next play at the 24-11-2 Nashville Predators on Thursday evening.