Houser was let go from his professional tryout agreement by the Sabres on Tuesday.
Houser has already agreed to terms on a one-year, minor-league deal with AHL Rochester, so the veteran backstop should link up with the Americans ahead of the upcoming season. Without a full NHL deal, Houser won't be eligible to be called up from the minors this year -- though he could sign a deal later in the season.
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Sabres' Michael Houser: In goal Tuesday
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Houser will get the starting nod on the road against the Penguins on Tuesday, Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reports.
Houser won't have much of a supporting cast in terms of NHL-caliber players, so fantasy managers may want to pursue other options for Tuesday's slate. The veteran backstop's time in Buffalo is almost certainly temporary, as he figures to join youngster Devon Levi with AHL Rochester after signing a two-way deal back in July.
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Sabres' Michael Houser: Agrees to one-year deal
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Houser signed a one-year, two-way contract with Buffalo on Saturday, according to PuckPedia.
Houser had a 2.80 GAA and a .906 save percentage in 21 AHL contests with Rochester last season. He's appeared in six career NHL games, posting a 2.97 GAA and a .917 save percentage over those contests.
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Sabres' Michael Houser: Signs NHL contract
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Houser agreed to terms on a contract with Buffalo on Monday and was subsequently processed through waivers.
Houser has signed a midseason, NHL-level deal with the Sabres for the third straight year. With AHL Rochester, the veteran netminder has made 14 appearances in which he's posted a 6-5-1 record and .903 save percentage. The decision to sign Houser, which will allow him to be recalled to Buffalo in the future, could be an indication that one of the other NHL-level goalies is about to be shipped out before Friday's trade deadline.
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Sabres' Michael Houser: Back to minors
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Houser was assigned to ECHL Cincinnati on Saturday.
Houser backed up Dustin Tokarski in Friday's 3-2 win over the Blackhawks. The 29-year-old Houser won both of his appearances at the NHL level this season, but he'll likely spend the bulk of 2022-23 in the minors.
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Sabres' Michael Houser: Called up ahead of finale
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Houser was recalled from AHL Rochester on Friday.
Fellow goalie Aaron Dell was among the players sent down in a corresponding move. Dustin Tokarski played Thursday and Craig Anderson (undisclosed) may not be healthy enough to play, so Houser could get the start for Friday's season finale against Chicago. The Sabres have yet to announce their goalie for Friday's game.
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Sabres' Michael Houser: Reassigned to AHL
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Houser cleared waivers and was sent to AHL Rochester on Thursday.
As expected, the 29-year-old was not claimed off waivers. Houser is 2-0-0 with a .948 save percentage at the NHL level this season.
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Sabres' Michael Houser: Lands on waivers
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Houser (COVID-19 protocols) was placed on waivers Wednesday, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
Houser was competent in his most recent NHL appearance, stopping 30 of 33 shots on net in a 6-3 victory over Philadelphia on Jan. 22. Per NHL rules, the 29-year-old had to have cleared the league's virus protocols before being placed on waivers. He signed a one-year deal with the Sabres on Jan. 12 and could be reassigned to their AHL affiliate if he goes unclaimed.
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Sabres' Michael Houser: Lands in protocols
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Houser entered the NHL's COVID-19 protocols Friday.
With Houser entering the league's virus protocols, the Sabres now have no healthy goaltenders on their roster, so at this point it isn't clear who will be between the pipes for Buffalo on Saturday against Arizona. Houser will need to submit two negative COVID-19 tests before rejoining the Sabres.
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Sabres' Michael Houser: Nabs second win
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Houser turned aside 30 shots in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Flyers.
The 29-year-old picked up his second win in as many starts this season as the Buffalo offense gave him plenty of support. Houser's 2.00 GAA and .948 save percentage are unsustainable -- he had a 2.98 GAA and .900 save percentage in the AHL prior to his promotion -- but until the Sabres get healthier in the crease, he should keep earning starts alongside Aaron Dell.
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Sabres' Michael Houser: Between pipes Saturday
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Houser will defend the cage Saturday against visiting Philadelphia.
Houser stopped 43 of 44 shots, delivering a 3-1 victory over Ottawa in his first appearance of the season Tuesday. The Flyers have been ice cold in January, posting an 0-7-2 record while averaging 29.7 shots on goal per game through the month. The Sabres are coming off a 5-4 loss to Dallas on Thursday and have posted a weak 2-4-2 record through January.
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Sabres' Michael Houser: Wins first start of season
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Houser made 43 saves on 44 shots in a 3-1 win over the Senators on Tuesday.
Now that's the way to make a season debut. Houser signed a one-year contract Jan. 12 and less than a week later carried Buffalo to a win. The 29-year-old had a 3.46 GAA and .901 save percentage in four appearances with the Sabres last season. Buffalo is facing a bit of a goalie shortage at the moment, so the new netminder may just get more chances in the coming days, and he certainly earned that Tuesday.
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Sabres' Michael Houser: Starting Tuesday in Ottawa
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Houser will start in Tuesday's road game against Ottawa, Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald reports.
Houser will make his first NHL appearance of the season against Ottawa on Tuesday. He recently inked a one-year deal with Buffalo last Wednesday. The Senators have averaged 30.1 shots on goal and 2.79 goals for per game alongside a 5-9-0 record at home this season.
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Sabres' Michael Houser: Signs with Sabres
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The Sabres signed Houser to a one-year, $750,000 contract Wednesday.
The 29-year-old played four games for the Sabres last season, allowing 14 goals and posting a .901 save percentage. Houser could be active Thursday in Nashville, as Malcolm Subban is the only healthy goaltender currently on Buffalo's roster.
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Sabres' Michael Houser: Inks minor-league contract
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Houser signed a one-year, minor-league contract with AHL Rochester on Thursday, Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald reports.
Houser was surprisingly forced into his NHL debut as the Sabres' goaltending depth took a hit late in the 2020-21 season. He went 2-2-0 with a .901 save percentage in four games, but that wasn't enough to earn him a contract from the Sabres. He'll remain in the organization's orbit at Rochester, where he went 1-3-0 with a .924 save percentage in four games last year. It's unlikely he'll play his way into another NHL contract this year.
Houser was sent to AHL Rochester on Sunday, per CapFriendly.
A brutal string of injuries to the Sabres' goaltending group forced Houser to start the final four games of the season. He did a respectable job, going 2-2-0 with a .901 save percentage and a 3.46 GAA. His only poor outing came May 6, when the Penguins hammered him for eight goals on 34 shots. The 28-year-old could compete for a spot on the NHL roster next season but will likely spend most of the season in the minors.
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Sabres' Michael Houser: Tough loss in season finale
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Houser made 22 saves in Saturday's 1-0 loss to the Penguins.
After coughing up eight goals to the Pens on Thursday, Houser was much sharper in the rematch but got no help from the rest of the Sabres. The 28-year-old rookie was pressed into duty for four games to close out the season with four other Buffalo goalies banged up, but Houser may have shown enough to earn a spot on an NHL depth chart next season.
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Sabres' Michael Houser: In goal for season finale
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Houser will get the starting nod against the Penguins on Saturday, Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reports.
With no real alternatives, Houser will be between the pipes for the season finale on Saturday despite having been shelled to the tune of eight goals on 34 shots in Thursday's blowout loss the Penguins. Unless Pittsburgh plans to rest some players, the 28-year-old rookie could be in for another rough outing Saturday.
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Sabres' Michael Houser: Left out to dry Thursday
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Houser surrendered eight goals on 34 shots in Thursday's 8-4 loss to the Penguins.
The Sabres were competitive for a bit in the game, but Houser wasn't able to stop the Penguins offense. Interim head coach Don Granato left Houser in goal for the full game -- the alternative was giving the untested Stefanos Lekkas a turn in the crease. Houser has allowed 13 goals on 118 shots after Thursday's terrible outing, but he won his first two NHL starts. The 28-year-old will likely man the crease again in Saturday's season finale in Pittsburgh.
