The Buffalo Sabres have agreed to terms on unrestricted free agent goaltender James Reimer, as he signs a contract with the club. It is a one-year deal, worth $1 million.
The Buffalo Sabres have signed goaltender James Reimer to a one-year, one-way contract worth $1,000,000. pic.twitter.com/X991wx3NB2
— Sabres PR (@SabresPR) July 2, 2024
The Buffalo Sabres Announce James Reimer Signs One-Year Contract
The Manitoba product, James Reimer, signs this contract with the Buffalo Sabres with the hopes of bringing some stability to the Sabres crease. That is something that Reimer has provided his entire NHL career, consistency and reliability. Reimer is a 14-year veteran of the NHL.
Let’s look at his statistics from a slightly more unconventional than usual angle. Let’s remove his career-high and career-low for games played and save percentage. His career-high in games played was 48 with the San Jose Sharks in 2021-22. Next, his floor was 22, the year prior, 2020-21, as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes. Similarly, let’s review for his save percentages over the years. His worst season was 2022-23 with the Sharks at .890 SV%. Meanwhile, his best was back in 2012-13 with the Toronto Maple Leafs at .924 SV%. Removing those two values, in all other campaigns his SV% was between .900 and .922.
What Will 2024-25 Bring for Reimer and the Sabres
Having James Reimer under contract is a great addition to the Buffalo Sabres goaltending rotation for 2024-25. Currently, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stands as a restricted free agent. Also, Devon Levi is under a two-way contract, so there’s no pressure for him to takeover at the NHL level. The Sabres might be able to push for playoff contention, and having Reimer in net allows for that to be a realistic possibility. Luukkonen has shown signs of being a solid NHL goaltender, but having Reimer as an option is huge for the mental side of the netminding responsibilities. Will the Sabres push for the playoffs in 2024-25? One thing is for sure, they have reliability between the pipes.
Main photo credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
