With the Toronto Maple Leafs dealing with injuries to both Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll, they could turn to a familiar face in James Reimer, per a report.
The Maple Leafs have been doing their best trying to navigate through the early portion of their regular season schedule, but have dealt with a lot of hardships and turmoil along the way in the form of injuries.
If losing Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies, and Chris Tanev to injuries wasn’t bad enough, how about losing both starting goaltenders one after the other?
Anthony Stolarz has been missing from action since November 11th after leaving a game against the Bruins, while Joseph Woll went down with an apparent leg injury this past week.
In their absence, Dennis Hildeby has played brilliantly, but addressing depth is going to be very important moving forward.
One name in particular that could garner interest is former Leafs netminder James Reimer, who had previously signed with the club on a PTO during training camp.
According to the Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta, Reimer has not only been keeping in game shape, but has remained in contract with the Maple Leafs since being released from his PTO.
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… He turned down some offers this season, per sources, and is waiting for the right spot. And for those curious, the Edmonton Oilers have not reached out.
Pagnotta mentioning that he has turned down other offers this season, essentially signals that he is prioritizing a possible return to the Maple Leafs.
With Stolarz remaining without a timeline to return and Woll expected to be out for at least one week – on the optimistic side – finding a suitable veteran backup for Hildeby should be considered.
While they have Artur Akhtyamov currently set up as the backup, he has yet to make his NHL debut, and it remains to be seen if the coaching staff is willing to give him that opportunity right now.
Bringing Reimer back into the fold could also give Stolarz and Woll the extra time they need to rest and heal, rather than potentially forcing them back into action. Moreover, it would also be wise to manage Hildeby’s workload, which should be a concern considering Woll had started in 8 of 9 games prior to his injury.
Reimer last appeared in game action at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, so he’s certainly more than ready to make his return to the NHL. He posted a 10-10-2 record in 24 games with Anaheim and Buffalo last season and is only a few years removed from a .911 SV% as a member of the San Jose Sharks.
Previously on Toronto Hockey Daily