NHL rumors: James Reimer requests trade from Toronto Maple Leafs
James Reimer’s time with the Toronto Maple Leafs may be coming to an end as Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet reports the goaltender requested a trade this month. It’s unclear how hard Toronto will work to meet that demand, but Kypreos says the team may have already began talks during the draft earlier this week.
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Reimer, 26, emerged as the Maple Leafs’ starting goaltender during the 2012-13 season, starting all seven playoff games for the team that year. His time as the prime guy in Toronto didn’t last long, however, as the team went out and acquired Jonathan Bernier from the Los Angeles Kings during the 2013 draft.
After starting the season sharing duties in goal for the Leafs, Reimer eventually lost the competition to Bernier and ended up in the backup role. He finished the season with some pretty mediocre numbers across the board, including a 12-16-1 record, .911 save percentage and 3.26 GAA.
With Bernier seemingly entrenched as Toronto’s starter entering next season, Reimer appears to want out rather than continue being a backup, despite that shaky performance. Whether he’ll actually find another starting gig elsewhere is hard to say, but given that he’s a restricted free agent this summer, now may be the time for Toronto to cut ties.
According to Kypreos, the Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets may have discussed a trade involving Reimer during the draft, so there’s at least one possible suitor if the teams want to re-visit those talks. Toronto may already have a replacement in mind, too, as Pro Hockey Talk writes that Martin Brodeur already spoke with the team.