Sabres sign James Reimer to one-year, $1M contract

It looks like Western New York has some more assurance between the pipes.

On Tuesday, the Buffalo Sabres announced they have signed goaltender James Reimer to a one-year contract. The deal will carry a $1 million cap hit for the 2024-25 season.

Reimer has become a bit of a journeyman in recent years. After the Florida Panthers traded the Marweena, Manitoba native to the Carolina Hurricanes during the 2019 offseason, he made a second appearance with the San Jose Sharks a few years ago, and he was one of three netminders with the Detroit Red Wings last season.

With Detroit, Reimer made some key starts while the team tried to make a late push for the playoffs. He went 11-8-2 in 25 games, posting a 3.11 goals-against average, a .904 save percentage and two shutouts. Those numbers improved greatly after an abysmal 2022-23 campaign in San Jose, which saw the former Red Deer Rebel register a 3.48 GAA and .890 SV% in 43 games.

Reimer got his start with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team that selected him in the fourth round of the 2006 NHL Draft. He played over five seasons with the Leafs before being dealt to the Sharks in 2016. He backed up Martin Jones as the team advanced to the Stanley Cup Final.

In his 14-year career, the 36-year-old has appeared in 501 games, with a record 215-177-63, a 2.88 GAA, a .910 SV% and 30 shutouts. He has also made 10 starts in the playoffs, going 5-5 with a 2.70 GAA and .925 SV%.

The signing gives the Sabres at least two NHL goaltenders, as Reimer joins Devon Levi on the active roster. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is a restricted free agent, but if Buffalo can get that deal done, it will give the team three capable netminders.

The Sabres have 38 players under standard contracts for next season. According to CapFriendly, Buffalo has less than $19 million in projected cap space.