The new James Reimer is playing like the old James Reimer and that’s fantastic. His play, and results, have been an enormous bright spot in what was supposed to be a truly dark season for Leafs fans.
So leave it to a Habs fan to try to ruin everything.
Thanks, Jerkshire.
While the idea of trading James Reimer to the Montreal Canadiens might make some Leafs fans nauseous, the unfortunate reality of running an NHL team is that you have to at least consider the idea.
Now I don’t want to be a rumour-monger here. I have no idea what the Leafs’ plans for Reimer are. As far as I know, their next plans for Optimus Reim involve him starting in the Leafs’ game against the Washington Capitals on Saturday. Here are some things they need to consider though.
LOSING JAMES REIMER TO FREE AGENCY
James Reimer, who is currently making $2.3 million against the cap, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. If you’re a rebuilding NHL team, which the Leafs very much are, losing him for nothing is not an option. So what’s a better option than that?
TRADING JAMES REIMER
This poll was in Damien Cox’s article on Reimer and Nazem Kadri earlier today. Could you have imagined that the results would be this close to 50/50 before the season began?
Reimer, no matter how good he is playing this season, is a UFA come July 1st. Trading him has to be on the minds of Leafs management. With an expiring deal on a rebuilding team, the thought has likely been there for a while. The fact that he is playing like a number one goalie is just the icing on the cake. It certainly makes him easier to trade and it likely means the Leafs can get more in return for him. There’s just one problem…
JONATHAN BERNIER KINDA STINKS RIGHT NOW
I mean, that’s probably not the nicest way to say it, but a .895 save percentage is some kind of awful. The guy doesn’t even have a win yet this season. Then again, the Leafs have scored just one goal in four different games Bernier has started so far this season and he only has eight starts. The team needs to share some blame here. The fact of the matter is Bernier, who just signed a deal that pays him $4.15 million this season and the next, is no longer the Leafs’ number one goaltender. If he can regain the form that earned him a .923 save percentage in 55 games back in 2013-14 then that makes trading Reimer much easier. You have Bernier, he’s good again, you have another guy with an expiring deal, so you trade that guy. Simple. What if Bernier doesn’t quite bounce back though?
RE-SIGN JAMES REIMER
Reimer has taken hold of the Leafs’ net for the time being. What if he keeps it? We’ve already mentioned the idea of trading him for the rebuild but this isn’t a one-year rebuild, either. Anything is possible but nobody is picking the Leafs to win it all next year. Well, nobody sane, anyway. What’s the harm in bringing Reimer back for one more year if he’s up for it? Wait, that brings up another issue…
WHAT IF HE’S TIRED OF GETTING SCREWED AROUND BY THE LEAFS?
Oh. True. He’s a UFA… Looks like they’ll have to trade James Reimer. Unless…
WHAT IF GARRET SPARKS IS AWESOME?
That would be amazing! In that case, trade Reimer and Bernier for first-rounders and roll down Front Street in a solid gold limo.
DID YOU MEAN ANTOINE BIBEAU?
My gold limo idea still seems like the best plan of attack here regardless of the Marlies goalie mentioned.
We could do this all day. The truth is we’re barely past the quarter-mark of the season and there’s a lot that can happen. There are obviously one million and one options and no decision is an easy one. Full disclosure, James Reimer’s time with the Toronto Maple Leafs has been absolutely fascinating and the idea of him playing for another team makes me cry more than I usually do as a Leafs fan. Seeing him stay and succeed in Toronto would be my fairy tale ending but anybody who has watched a Leafs game since May 1967 knows that Disney makes it look way easier than it actually is.
As they say in Hockey Cliché Land – It’s a business.
What do you think will happen with Toronto’s favourite Autobot?
