BUFFALO – The Sabres this afternoon signed Rochester Americans goalie Stefanos Lekkas to a professional tryout contract and he will back up Michael Houser tonight against the New York Islanders.
Sabres assistant coach Mike Bales, a former NHL goalie, will serve as the emergency backup, according to the team.
Goalie Dustin Tokarski, who was expected to start tonight, did not skate this morning. Tokarski relieved goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen when he was injured in Saturday afternoon’s 6-2 loss to the Boston Bruins
The Sabres this afternoon also recalled Houser from the taxi squad.
The 6-foot, 181-pound Lekkas, 25, has compiled a 1-5-1 record, a 4.32 goals-against average and an .863 save percentage in seven games with the Amerks. The rookie earned his first AHL win Saturday.
The Vermont product compiled stellar numbers – 7-2-2, 2.15 and .914 – in 11 outings with the ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets earlier this season.
In other news, the Sabres recalled forward C.J. Smith from the Amerks to the taxi squad and sent forward Jean-Sebastien Dea from the taxi squad to the AHL club.