The New York Rangers turned to a familiar kind of insurance on Sunday, signing former Maple Leafs goaltender James Reimer to an NHL contract and, according to the report, moving him onto the NHL roster right away.
It’s a move aimed at steadying a crease that needed another hand. With Igor Shesterkin out, Dylan Garand has carried the load and has been stellar, but the Rangers wanted veteran cover behind him. Reimer gives them that after earning a tryout with the Hartford Wolf Pack, where he already posted a shutout.
For Reimer, this is Team No. 9 in an NHL career that has stretched across a long list of stops. The 38-year-old has spent time with the Maple Leafs, Panthers, Sharks, Hurricanes, Red Wings, Sabres, Ducks, and Senators, building a reputation over the years as a dependable backup. Last season with Ottawa, he went 7-4-2 with a 2.42 GAA and .886 SV% while filling a starting role late in the year as injuries piled up.
His overall NHL line sits at 232-197-61 with a 2.87 GAA and .909 SV%.
The fit in New York is clear enough: ideally, Garand stays in the top spot while Reimer comes in every third or fourth game to lighten the load. The concern is whether the Rangers try to lean on Reimer for anything more than that. He has been at his best as a backup, and the last time he held down a true starting job was in 2022-23 with San Jose, when he finished 12-21-8 with a 3.48 GAA and .890 SV%.
That season helped push him into the backup lane, and it’s hard to ask him to handle 35-40 starts again. Still, the Rangers are dealing with limited choices at the AHL level, Joonas Korpisalo is also injured, and the backup role had been resting with Spencer Martin, who has fewer than 70 career starts.
So Reimer is the guy they chose. If his momentum from that brief AHL stint carries over, New York may end up getting more out of this signing than it expected.
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Maple Leafs Just Sent A Loud Message With This Road Rout
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The Leafs did plenty of damage in a matchup that featured offense from both sides, with Leon Draisaitl scoring twice for Edmonton and Tristan Jarry making 25 saves in the loss. For Toronto, the bigger takeaway was the way it kept piling on deep into the game, a sign of a group that is finding its rhythm and carrying real confidence into the next stretch of the schedule. [Read more 🡒]