Earlier this offseason, the Buffalo Sabres signed veteran goaltender James Reimer to a one-year, $1 million contract. While this was one of the quieter moves from the Sabres this summer, it has the potential to be a good one for Buffalo.
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Reimer, 36, simply provides the Sabres with more depth between the pipes. At a minimum, he will give the Sabres an experienced third-string goalie to have around when injuries inevitably arise during the season. However, he also provides them a more-than-serviceable option for the backup role if youngster Devon Levi ends up needing a bit more time at the AHL level with the Rochester Americans.
Reimer showed this past season with the Detroit Red Wings that he can still work quite well in a backup role. In 25 games with the Original Six club, he had an 11-8-2 record, a .904 save percentage (SV%), and a 3.11 goals-against average (GAA). In addition, he has sported a .900 SV% or better in 13 out of his 14 NHL seasons. Thus, he has been quite consistent throughout his career.
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Besides still being useful at this point in his career, Reimer should also be a good mentor to rising stars Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Levi. As noted above, he has carved himself a lengthy career in the NHL, so he could be good to have around as the two youngsters continue to develop their games.
At a $1 million cap hit, Reimer has the potential to be an excellent low-risk signing for the Sabres. It will be fun to see what kind of season he puts together for Buffalo from here.
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