Buffalo Sabres training camp: James Reimer's mindset, Bowen Byram standing out and more

BUFFALO, N.Y. — James Reimer has been an NHL mainstay since the 2011-12 season, playing for five different teams and starting at least 20 games in each season. Now the 36-year-old goalie has a chance to extend that streak with a sixth team after signing a $1 million contract with the Buffalo Sabres this summer.

“Another new spot,” Reimer said with a smile. “I’m trying to collect all the jerseys. I’m getting close.”

This situation is a different one for Reimer, though. The Sabres have two young goalies that they value. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen had a breakout season in 2023-24 and earned a five-year extension worth $4.75 million per season. And Devon Levi started 21 NHL games last season while also spending time in the AHL, showing potential that has matched his hype as a prospect. When the Sabres broke up their practice groups at the start of training camp, Luukkonen and Levi were the two goalies skating with the NHL group while Reimer was with the second practice group that consisted mostly of AHLers and prospects.

That puts Reimer in a position where his path to playing time isn’t guaranteed. Early indications at training camp point to Levi being the backup to open the season. Lindy Ruff has indicated he thinks he will need two goalies playing closer to an even split, so it’s not a lock that Luukkonen will approach 55 starts like he did a year ago. If Levi is ready to handle more NHL time this season, that represents a best case scenario for the Sabres.

But Reimer is also on a one-way contract, which means that salary is guaranteed even if he’s in the AHL. That salary would increase the odds that Reimer could pass through waivers unclaimed, but that’s dependent on the goalie situation around the NHL. If injuries leave a few teams in need of goalies, Reimer would be in demand after posting a .904 save percentage and 3.11 goals-against average in 25 appearances for Detroit last season. That’s also what made him a necessary addition for Buffalo. If Levi is still not ready for full-time NHL action or if one of Levi or Luukkonen misses time due to injury, having an experienced goalie like Reimer is a nice insurance plan.

“Just give me a chance, coach,” Reimer said with a laugh. “Just put me in. I love this game, I love this position and I love working and trying to get better. Even this year I was making tweaks to my game to try to make myself faster, stronger, quicker, you name it. I had a really good summer and feel really good about my game right now with some of the adjustments I made. My mindset has never really been to ride it out and let it go. If I’m here, it’s for a purpose. It’s to get better and to win hockey games and help my teammates. That’s my mindset.”

Reimer knows he’s not likely to catch anyone on staff by surprise in training camp considering he has a decade and a half of NHL experience. The bigger variable for his role is how well the other two goalies play and whether they stay healthy. Reimer has just focused on trying to fit into a new city and locker room. He said he’s struck by the friendliness of his Buffalo neighbors and how it seems everyone is trying to help each other. He’s sensed a similar feel in the locker room. A few of his new teammates reached out over the summer, and Levi said he already struck up a friendship with Reimer during the offseason.

“The thing that sticks out is the excitement to get going,” Reimer said of his new team. “This team has been sniffing for a couple of years now. I think everyone is collectively ready to bring their ‘A’ game. And that’s an exciting time to be part of an organization.”

Here are some more takeaways from Buffalo’s early stretch of training camp, which included a scrimmage on Friday morning.

1. Sabres were broken up into two teams which each featured three lines, five defensemen and two goalies. Here were the lines.

2. Each team had five defensemen, so the rotating made it difficult to decipher pairs. Bowen Byram and Owen Power were out there together for the blue team quite a bit, though, and Mattias Samuelsson and Henri Jokiharju got plenty of time together on the white team. The big question is still who will play with Rasmus Dahlin. Ruff said Dahlin skated on his own Friday and is getting closer to returning to team practices.

3. Ruff also noted that the preseason game against the Penguins on Saturday night will feature a big chunk of Buffalo’s NHL roster. The team only has two preseason games before it takes off for Germany. And once the Sabres are over there, the exhibition game against Red Bull is the only game action before the regular season opens with two games against the Devils in Prague. For that reason, a lot of the NHL roster will play in Buffalo’s first two preseason games on Saturday and Monday.

4. Ruff said he thought Byram was the best player on the ice during the scrimmage. He and Power controlled the play when they were on the ice. Byram, in particular, created a few chances in the offensive zone and was smooth breaking the puck out of his own end. He could end up being one of the biggest beneficiaries of the improved defensive structure under Ruff.

5. JJ Peterka seems locked in on the top line. That’s where he finished last season, playing alongside Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch. And that’s where he’s spent the entirety of the early portion of camp. He scored by beating Reimer clean with a perfect shot during the scrimmage. He looks like he’s ready to pick up where he left off last season when he scored 28 goals. Ruff said he saw a “dynamic” scorer when he watched clips of Peterka’s games from last season.

“You’ve got another guy on that line that can be just as dangerous if the coverage goes to Thompson or Tuch,” Ruff said.

6. Konsta Helenius has not been practicing with the top group at the start of training camp, but he did get to take part in the scrimmage on Friday and scored the first goal, collecting his own rebound on a breakaway. He also just missed scoring on another shot. The biggest thing missing from his game is the strength that should naturally come with age, but Helenius plays such a calm game for someone so young. His competitiveness didn’t waver on Friday even against the NHL roster.

“For a guy that young to carry himself as well as he has when it comes to the physical part of the game, knowing where to be and some of the puck battles against bigger men have been really good puck battles,” Ruff said. “I’m impressed with his overall play for being 18 years old.”

7. Ryan McLeod is making a strong impression early on in camp. McLeod has a well-established reputation as one of the league’s fastest skaters, and it’s noticeable how much space he opens up when playing on the rush. But he’s also quick to close on the puck in the defensive zone and his speed is a real asset on the breakout. That he played more than 100 games in 2023-24 as part of the Oilers’ Stanley Cup run clearly hasn’t negatively impacted his readiness for the start of the season. The line he’s playing on has looked like a strong mix given Jason Zucker and Jordan Greenway are both willing to get to the net and create traffic.

8. The scrimmage was low-scoring, especially early. Levi made a few big saves, but otherwise, solid defense was the story of the day. Ruff attributed that less to the new defensive systems in place and more to the players having the attention to detail and focus away from the puck. Ruff noticed some frustration from the offensive players, especially early in the scrimmage.

9. Conditioning is clearly a point of emphasis for Ruff. After a lengthy scrimmage that included overtime and a shootout, Ruff had the team do extra sprints down the length of the ice. He’s also punished players with pushups and sprints at other points of practices. He’s not going to let poor habits or conditioning be an excuse for this team.

10. Peyton Krebs appears to be the 13th forward on the depth chart early on. He has rotated in on the fourth line during practice but was on the outside looking in at the top four lines during the scrimmage. Ruff said he has liked Krebs’ work ethic early in camp but that he’s among the Sabres players who need to take better care of the puck.

“It’s probably one of the issues that we have to put our arms around because we still gave up some big chances on just poor puck decisions,” Ruff said. “He’s inside that group that sometimes tries too many high-risk or one-on-one type plays, not necessarily on offense, but holding the puck in an area that’s really dangerous and giving up a high-danger opportunity.”

(Photo of Bowen Byram: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)