Stop-Gap Goaltending

HBIC is not a blog where you'll read a lot of Toronto Maple Leafs news mainly because this site lives by the ABT motto: Anybody But Toronto. In saying that, I do want to extend a heartfelt wish for all things positive to Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll who left the team to attend to a personal family matter. I'm hoping it's not something that involves the loss of a family member, but I also respect his privacy so I shall not comment or speculate further. The Leafs, though, are now down a starting goalie with Woll being away from the team, and they decided to dip into the free agent pool and jump back to 2012 to solve their stopper problem.

The Leafs announced that goaltender James Reimer had signed a professional tryout contract with the team to stabilize the goaltending position while Woll is on his personal leave. The 37 year-old Reimer played with Anaheim and Buffalo last season, posting a 10-10-2 record. His two losses with Anaheim aside, Reimer posted very respectable numbers with the Sabres as he had a 2.85 GAA and a .901 save percentage in 22 games with the always-brutal Sabres.

Reimer will likely see a number of starts if Woll doesn't return by October 8. 24-year-old Dennis Hildeby has just six NHL games on his resume, and the oft-injured Anthony Stolarz is the other option who will likely form the goaltending tandem for the Leafs until Woll's ready to play. Stolarz and Reimer are a very capable goaltending pair, so the Leafs shouldn't see a serious drop-off in the crease when it comes to potentially stopping pucks and winning games.

You culd argue that 28 year-old Ilya Samsonov might have been a better signing, but it might be a tough sell to return to the team for a guy that Toronto let walk in the summer of 2024. Outside of Samsonov, Alexandar Georgiev would be another goalie with notable NHL experience who is still unsigned, but his numbers were worse than those of Reimer. In short, the Reimer is the Leafs' best option.

The question will be what to do with Reimer when Woll returns. If the Leafs intend on having the best goaltending they can, they can turn this opportunity for Reimer into a three-goalie competition where the top-two netminders remain as the team's tandem. However, with Woll signing a three-year deal last season that kicks in on October 8, this might be the Leafs' way of trying to figure out the second goaltending roster spot between Reimer and Stolarz. Either way, one of those two netminders will likely be waived or traded once Woll returns.

Reimer where he needs to show he can be an elite goaltender immediately, but that pressure doesn't seem to be affecting him.

"I haven't had that much fun in a long time," Reimer said after Saturday's practice. "It's been a special experience to be back here. A lot of memories and a lot of good emotions and really enjoying the moment and just enjoying being back. It's a lot of fun."

"This is where I started," he continued, answering a second question. "This is where the whole thing got going. It's a special city. I mean, it's the greatest game on earth and the greatest city to play the game in. I got so many good memories. I'm sure there were some bad memories in there. I don’t remember any of them. I'm sure nobody else does either."

All joking aside, Reimer was traded from the Leafs to the San Jose Sharks with Jeremy Morin for Alex Stalock, Ben Smith, and conditional third-round pick in the 2018 draft on February 27, 2016 as the Leafs went with Jonathan Bernier and Garrett Sparks as their tandem. Stalock played for the Marlies for one season, Ben Smith spent 52 games in Leafs' colours, and that 2018 pick turned out to be Riley Stotts who has now played four seasons of Canada West hockey.

Roster mismanagement in 2016 aside, Reimer continued to be an NHL goalie as he bounced around the league, so the Leafs should look to try and maximize Reimer's trade value by playing him as the starter. As a 37 year-old on a PTO, he's clearly the most expendable between himself and Stolarz, but, if he shows some skill and is waived, it's likely a team needing a goalie will claim him and the Leafs will lose him for nothing. And it kind of feels like 2016 all over again.

This is the problem with stop-gap goaltending. Had the Leafs been developing a netminder who was ready to take the next step, bringing in James Reimer wouldn't be necessary. That's not to say that Reimer can't or won't be a solid netminder for however long he's in Toronto this time, but this wouldn't even have been a discussion had Dennis Hildeby or Artur Akhtyamov been ready. The Leafs clearly believe they're not, so Reimer is the stop-gap until Woll returns.

Whatever happens to Reimer after Woll returns is the result of the Leafs not having an NHL-ready replacement at the AHL level upon who they can call. I don't fault James Reimer for seizing the opportunity to return to Toronto and play for the Maple Leafs again, but it seems like his days are already numbered as a stop-gap goalie.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!