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It’s not something fans like to think about, but with the Toronto Maple Leafs in a rebuild it means that every option that can advance their rebuild should be explored. A lot of focus and speculation has been put on what the Leafs will get for all their UFAs, with the exception of goaltender James Reimer.
Reimer’s contract is up this summer so it’s important that Toronto management knows exactly what they want to do with Reimer. Either they trade him before the NHL Trade Deadline or they re-sign him in the summer to be their goalie going forward in the rebuild. The one thing they can’t do is lose him for nothing in the offseason by not trading or re-signing him.
People don’t like to talk about trading Reimer because of how well he’s played this season. Reimer had the best save percentage in the league with .937 heading into tonight’s game against the Florida Panthers, which is amazing considering he’s playing for the Leafs. Reimer has been left without any help from the defense all season and despite that has often helped keep games close for the Leafs.
His high stats won’t stay at that level for long now that he’s come back from a long injury. While the team was playing well at times during the early stages of the season, that is no longer the case. Right now the Leafs are going on a very bad run, losing eight of their last ten games. So the sooner the Leafs can trade Reimer, the more they can get in return.
The only issue that has been brought up is that the goalie market is currently saturated, especially with Anaheim Ducks‘ goalie Frederik Andersen apparently on the market. But there are a few teams that are in the fight for a playoff spot with goaltending issues, and the closer it gets to the trade deadline the more demand there’ll be for goalies. A team like the Nashville Predators might be interested in Reimer, considering Pekka Rinne hasn’t been playing well. Or maybe a team like the Washington Capitals could use Reimer as a reliable backup in the event goalie Braden Holtby gets injured.
When the demand for goalies rises, don’t be surprised about what the Leafs can fetch for Reimer — probably a few draft picks with at least one first-round pick. Now that might sound like a lot, but think back to other years at the trade deadline. Teams will overpay for whatever role they need filled — it happens every season.
Trading Reimer would be tough, as he’s a guy that plays with heart and loves playing in Toronto. It’s a difficult choice, but one that must be made.
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