Nearly ten hours after NHL free agency opened, the Buffalo Sabres finally signed two goaltenders, a position they desperately need to fill. Craig Anderson and Aaron Dell will join the team on one-year deals worth $750,000.
The 40-year-old has 18 seasons of NHL experience across a myriad of clubs. He spent this season with the Washington Capitals, where he appeared in six games. The previous 10 seasons were spent with the Ottawa Senators, but he’s also played with Colorado, Florida and Chicago. Originally drafted by Calgary in 1999, Anderson was drafted again by Chicago in 2001 with the 73rd pick.
Anderson played a brief stint with the Rochester Americans as a member of the Panthers organization in the 2006-07 season. To date, he has 654 games of NHL experience with a 2.84 GAA and .913 save percentage.
Dell, 32, appeared in eight games with the New Jersey Devils and Binghamton Devils this season. He spent the previous four seasons with the San Jose Sharks and played in the ECHL and AHL for several years prior. A former University of North Dakota net minder, Dell has appeared in 114 NHL games over the course of his career.
The Sabres have also brought back a familiar face on the blueline, signing Mark Pysyk to a one-year contract worth $900,000.
Pysyk, 29, played this season with the Dallas Stars. He spent the previous four seasons with the Florida Panthers and, of course, played with the Sabres organization between 2012 and 2016. The right-handed defenseman was drafted by Buffalo with the 23rd selection in 2010 and has amassed 453 career NHL games with 92 points.
Buffalo also added former St. Cloud State defenseman Jimmy Schuldt on a one-year, $750,000 deal. Schuldt, 26, is a left-handed blueliner who spent this season with the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights. In 38 games, he recorded 14 points.
Schuldt previously played for the Chicago Wolves and has appeared in one NHL game.