RALEIGH, N.C. – While the Buffalo Sabres welcomed new goalie Malcolm Subban at practice Friday in PNC Arena, coach Don Granato was without two key players.
Winger Kyle Okposo and defenseman Mark Pysyk sat out for maintenance, clearing the way for John Hayden and Will Butcher to get more work for the hour-long session.
With Okposo and Pysyk out, the Sabres' lines and pairings were:
Skinner-Thompson-Olofsson
Murray-Cozens-Hayden
Girgensons-Mittelstadt-Asplund
Bjork-Eakin-Hinostroza
Dahlin-Hagg
Butcher-Miller
Bryson-Jokiharju
Forward Mark Jankowski was an extra after making his Sabres debut in a 7-4 loss at Florida on Thursday night. Jankowski, 27, was credited with three giveaways and skated 10:45 in the loss.
Subban and Aaron Dell were the Sabres' goalies, with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen assigned to Rochester. Luukkonen, 22, was dispatched from the Amerks when Dustin Tokarski was placed in Covid-19 protocol. Tokarski is out for an undetermined amount of time.
"With UPL, he's in a developmental phase of his career where games in Rochester, there's a benefit there that might exceed the benefit here right now, today, and a spot to play," Granato said. "That's what it comes down to with all those guys that are in Rochester. ... We are in it for the long haul. We feel the best way to accelerate development is to use an American league team."
Granato said following the practice that Subban is an option to start against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night. A decision won't be made until later Friday.
"I would say yeah, what I saw today and talking to him this morning, I'm comfortable putting him in the net tomorrow," Granato said. "I haven't made that decision firm yet, but I'm certainly comfortable."
The most prominent news came as the Sabres were wrapping up practice. Winger Alex Tuch was upgraded to week to week on the club's injury report. Tuch has not played since he was acquired from Vegas in the Jack Eichel trade. He's recovering from shoulder surgery and was initially projected to return to the lineup in January.
The report also confirmed that goalie Craig Anderson is out month to month with an upper-body injury. Anderson, 40, has been out since Nov. 2, as the result of a collision in a loss at San Jose. He's on the trip with the team, but he is not practicing. Drake Caggiula is also out week to week with an upper-body injury.
"He has been as mystified as anybody," Granato said of Anderson. "This is an elusive thing. You wake up each day and it can resolve, so you're hopeful each day with the issue he deals with that tomorrow is the day that it resolves completely. But it hasn't, and because it hasn't, it's the same subtlety every day. It can be aggravating to the same extent. ... There is potential for frustration. He's a pro. He's handled it extremely well."
