The Toronto Maple Leafs have an uncertain situation in the crease. That’s hardly news. Anyone following the team has been able to see just how messy the goaltending status has been.
At the outset of the season, the Maple Leafs brought in veteran goalie James Reimer to provide some depth. The move was due to Joseph’s Woll personal leave. Reimer, unfortunately, did not make the team. A disastrous pre-season start against the Detroit Red Wings pretty much sealed Reimer’s future.
Reimer and the Maple Leafs parted ways before the start of the season. But according to the Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta, the two sides have kept in touch since then.
In a December 8 piece, Pagnotta described how Reimer has been staying in shape, waiting patiently for the phone to ring. One of the teams the 37-year-old netminer has been holding his breath for is Toronto. Pagnotta expounded on the point by stating:
“Veteran goaltender James Reimer is keeping in game shape, should an NHL opportunity arise. The free agent has kept in touch with the Toronto Maple Leafs since being released from his PTO in October, but the two sides have not spoken recently.”
The lack of communication could be due to the return of Woll and the emergence of Dennis Hildeby. Hildeby was sensational on Monday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning, earning his first career NHL shoutout.
Be that as it may, the Maple Leafs are hardly out of the woods goaltending-wise. Anthony Stolarz is nowhere near returning to the ice. Meanwhile, Woll could be back sooner rather than later. If that’s the case, the Leafs ought to roll with a Woll-Hildeby tandem.
But where does that leave the Maple Leafs’ organizational depth? That’s a question that may need a deeper answer.
Reimer could be an organizational depth option for the Maple Leafs
Let’s assume the worst case scenario for a moment. Suppose that Stolarz is gone for the season. That situation would leave the Maple Leafs with Hildeby and Woll as the tandem moving forward.
That’s not a bad situation. However, bringing Hildeby up to the NHL means the cupboard will get pretty barren after that. Artur Akhtyamov would be the next line of defense. While he’s not a bad goalie, the organization would need more depth.
That’s where Reimer could fall into place. Reimer could become the starter for the Marlies and the team’s third-string goalie. The veteran netminder could give the Leafs a fallback plan much like Martin Jones did a couple of seasons ago.
In that interim, the Maple Leafs relied on Jones to bail the club out for about a dozen games. Now, we hope it doesn’t come to Reimer bailing the Leafs out for any period. But then again, who would be better off backing up Hildeby if Woll goes down: Reimer or Akhtyamov?
It’s no disrespect to Akhtyamov, but he’s not the ideal option should Woll go down again.
Ultimately, it makes sense for the Maple Leafs to keep Reimer in their back pocket. There’s always the chance that another team in a desperate situation signs Reimer. But then again, Brad Treliving must keep his options open. The Leafs have finally seemed to turn things around. So, the last thing anyone wants is the team falling apart due to overworking Hildeby.