The Buffalo Sabres have signed unrestricted free agent goalie Aaron Dell to a one-year contract worth $750,000. This contract carries him through the 2021-22 season. The team announced the deal on Wednesday evening.
We have signed goaltender Aaron Dell to a one-year contract worth $750,000.
Welcome to the Sabres, Aaron!
Details: https://t.co/1gUxfi8Nzd pic.twitter.com/XePrNjxTWI
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) July 29, 2021
Aaron Dell Inks Deal with Buffalo
Over his five-year NHL career, Dell has played for the San Jose Sharks and the New Jersey Devils. He has a career record of 49 wins, 39 wins and 12 overtime losses. The Airdrie, Alberta native has a career goals-against-average of 2.83 and a save percentage of .906. Dell also has five career shutouts and they all came with the Sharks.
Last season he only played in seven games and had a record of one win and five losses. He had a 4.14 goals-against-average and a .857 save percentage with New Jersey.
He signed as an undrafted free agent in 2015 with the Sharks. Dell won 30 games with the University of North Dakota in 2010-11. He worked his way from the Central Hockey League, ECHL and AHL to carve out an NHL career. His best NHL season was with the Sharks with a 15-54 record and 2.64 GAA in 2017-18.
What This Means for the Future
Dell looks like he’s going to compete with the recently-signed Craig Anderson and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen for the number one job in Buffalo. The Sabres inexplicably let Linus Ullmark go to the Boston Bruins after not re-signing him.
The 32-year-old will probably get a few starts with the Sabres, as they will likely be in the mix to get the right to draft Shane Wright in the 2022 NHL Draft. Buffalo has taken a lot of low-cost contracts and made some moves to burn the whole thing down… again.
It looks like another long winter in Western New York, but Dell should get some time in net. He may play well enough to get moved out to a contender at the deadlien.
