According to the Buffalo News’s Mike Harrington, the Buffalo Sabres will dress a rookie goalie against the Detroit Red Wings this evening (7:30 PM on DetroitRedWings.com/WWJ):
The Sabres had initially been planning to split goaltending duties duruing their early preseason games like they did Tuesday in Columbus, when Aaron Dell played the first 30 minutes and Dustin Tokarski finished the shootout victory over the Blue Jackets.
But it’s clear they want to get as much information on Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and give the top prospect as much of a chance to make the club as possible. So goalie coach Mike Bales asked Granato to call an audible on the plan. Luukkonen, who looked strong in his one appearance at the Prospects Challenge, will thus play the entire game tonight in Detroit against the Red Wings.
And here are his probable Sabres lines:
Based on morning skate, #Sabres lines for Detroit look like this:
— Mike Harrington (@ByMHarrington) September 30, 2021
Asplund-Cozens-Thompson
Peterka-Ruotsalainen-Weissbach
Murray-Malone-Quinn
Warren-Eakin-Hayden
——
Fitz-Davidson
Hagg-Pysyk
Bryson-Butcher
——
Goalies are UPL and Robson
Update: BuffaloSabres.com’s Jourdon LaBarber confirms:
Here is the full projected lineup:
74 Rasmus Asplund – 24 Dylan Cozens – 72 Tage Thompson
77 JJ Peterka – 25 Arttu Ruotsalainen – 65 Linus Weissbach
57 Brett Murray – 43 Sean Malone – 22 Jack Quinn
42 Brendan Warren – 20 Cody Eakin – 15 John Hayden8 Robert Hagg – Mark Pysyk
4 Will Butcher – 78 Jacob Bryson
88 Brandon Davidson – 45 Casey Fitzgerald1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
40 Mat Robson