A former Toronto Maple Leafs goalie looks to be getting one more crack at the NHL. That shot will be coming with a division rival, however.
On Thursday night, Darren Dreger reported the Ottawa Senators would be signing former Maple Leafs netminder James Reimer to an AHL Professional Tryout contract. The news comes as no surprise following the Senators’ debacle in Colorado.
The @Senators have signed veteran goalie James Reimer to an AHL PTO. Expect Reimer to report to Ottawa in a few days with an NHL contract. Ultimately, the hope is Reimer will provide good backup to Linus Ullmark when he returns from Personal
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) January 9, 2026
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The Avalanche walloped the Senators 8-2, scoring six goals in the second period. The Avalanche chased starter Leevi Merilainen after scoring three times. Backup Mads Sogard gave up five in the second, leading Merilainen to return to close out the third period.
The Senators’ goaltending situation hasn’t been easy of late. Starter Linus Ullmark is away from the club for personal reasons. The Senators issued an official statement condemning unfounded online chatter attacking Ullmark’s absence.
Be that as it may, the Senators are desperate for stability in the crease. That’s why the 37-year-old Reimer should provide some of that. Judging from Dreger’s comments, Reimer should get a quick conditioning stint in the AHL before joining the NHL team. Likely, one of Sogard or Merilainen will head back to the NHL.
The plan, it seems, would be for the Senators to roll with Ullmark and Reimer moving forward.
The talk around the league had been that Reimer was staying in shape while he waited for another NHL opportunity. It seems that patience paid off. Earlier this season, it seemed Reimer would get one more kick at the NHL can with the Maple Leafs. Toronto had signed Reimer to a PTO amid the uncertainty with Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz.
However, a not-so-stellar showing in the preseason led the Maple Leafs to release Reimer from the PTO. The talk had been that the Maple Leafs and Reimer had kept in touch. But it seems Dennis Hildeby’s performance pretty much precluded the need for another goaltender.
In the meantime, the Senators will hope that Reimer can stop some of the bleeding. The Sens are 4-5-1 in their last 10 and riding a three-game losing streak. The Maple Leafs now have a four-point lead on the Sens in the Atlantic Division and have crept up the standings. Ottawa is in last place in the division, trailing the Florida Panthers and the Boston Bruins.