Goaltender James Remier joined the Toronto Maple Leafs on a professional tryout 19 years since they drafted him and 10 seasons since he last played for them. The 37-year-old netminder has played in parts of 15 NHL seasons in his career, and this tryout [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/why-the-maple-leafs-signed-james-reimer-to-a-professional-tryout] may earn him another contract. Reimer was selected 99th overall by Toronto [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs] in the fourth round of the 2006 draft. He played his first NHL season in 2010-11 and remained a Leaf until he was traded to the San Jose Sharks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/san-jose-sharks] in February 2016. He’s been a journeyman over the last three seasons, playing for four different NHL clubs and being claimed off waivers twice in just over a month between the Anaheim Ducks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks] and Buffalo Sabres [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres] early last season. Reimer was a backup goalie last season, making 24 appearances, including two for the Ducks and 22 for the Sabres. Between the two teams, Reimer put up a 10-10-2 record, .896 save percentage and 3.04 goals against average. Reimer could be a veteran in the Maple Leafs’ goaltending depth while Joseph Woll is taking a leave of absence to deal with a personal matter. There’s no timeline for when Woll will return. Dennis Hildeby, 24, was set to be the backup goalie to Anthony Stolarz. However, between Hildeby’s inexperience and Stolarz’s injury history, there is plenty of uncertainty that needs to be settled with the Maple Leafs. James Reimer (Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/6826805d-a886-4c97-8ec6-fa0de8cf2d03.jpeg] James Reimer (Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images) ‘Optimus Reim’ was a huge fan favorite during his early years in Toronto. With that, he had the best numbers in his career in his six seasons with the team. His best season statistically came in the 2012-13 half-lockout campaign. In 31 starts, he earned a 19-8-5 record with a .924 SP and 2.46 GAA. Later, Reimer led the Leafs to the playoffs after missing the post-season for seven straight years. In their seven-game series with the Boston Bruins [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins], Reimer stood out for Toronto, registering a .923 SP and 2.87 GAA. However, that series would end in Boston’s way – and in famous fashion, when the Leafs blew a 4-1 lead in TD Garden and lost in overtime. For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free [https://thehockeynews.store/products/print-subscription]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
