In another goaltending move, moments after trading Kaapo Kahkonen to the New Jersey Devils for Vitek Vanecek, the San Jose Sharks are acquiring Devin Cooley from the Buffalo Sabres for a 2025 seventh-round pick.
The 26-year-old netminder has played 14 games this season with the Sabres’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate the Rochester Americans where he has compiled a 6-6-2 record, 3.77 goals against average and a .891 save percentage.
Cooley signed a one-year, $775,000 contract with the Sabres last summer. During the 2022-23 campaign, Cooley played 26 regular season games in the AHL with the Nashville Predators AHL farm team the Milwaukee Admirals, where he had a 15-8-2 record and a .909. save percentage. He also played four AHL playoff games for the Admirals, where he went 2-2 with a .916 save percentage as they went all the way to the Western Conference Finals before losing in six games to the Coachella Valley Firebirds.
The Los Gatos, California product returns to the Golden State and played his minor hockey for the San Jose Jr. Sharks, so this is full circle for him. Cooley spent three seasons in the NCAA with the University of Denver and in 2017-18 won the NCAA NCHC Championship.
Cooley turned pro in 2020-21, playing for the Chicago Wolves of the AHL and the Florida Everblades of the ECHL. In 22 ECHL appearances that season he compiled a 12-7-2 record and was the backup for the Everblades in the ECHL Playoffs as the Everblades captured the Brabham Cup, Cooley was named ECHL Goalie of the Week in December 2020.
Cooley is likely to be designated to the Sharks AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda. The Barracuda rank 10th in the Pacific Division with a 17-27-8 record and 44 points through 54 games.
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