Senators sign goalie James Reimer to one-year contract

The Ottawa Senators are hoping a veteran can stabilize their situation in net.

James Reimer, 37, has signed a one-year deal with an average annual value of $850,000, the team announced Monday.

Reimer was signed to a professional tryout by the club last week. He allowed six goals on 28 shots for the Belleville Senators in an AHL loss to Rochester on Sunday.

Ottawa has struggled mightily between the pipes this season, tied for second in most goals allowed in the Eastern Conference. The problem has been magnified in recent weeks as No. 1 netminder Linus Ullmark has stepped away from the team due to personal reasons.

Leevi Merilainen, Mads Sogaard and Hunter Shepard also have seen time in net for Ottawa this season.

Reimer made his NHL debut in December 2010. In the 15 seasons that followed, he played in 525 regular season games. He compiled a record of 225-187-65, with a goals-against average of 2.89 and a save percentage of .910.

A fourth-round pick in the 2006 NHL Draft, Reimer spent his first eight seasons in the pros with the Toronto Maple Leafs organization. After playing for the Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, San Jose Sharks, Detroit Red Wings, and Anaheim Ducks, he spent most of the 2024-25 season with the Buffalo Sabres. In 22 games with them, he posted a record of 10-8-2 with a goals-against average of 2.90 and a save percentage of .901.

More recently, in December, he appeared in two games for Team Canada in the Spengler Cup tournament in Davos, Switzerland.