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James Reimer

Sabres Reclaim James Reimer Off Waivers From Ducks

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Nov. 13: The Sabres have reclaimed Reimer off waivers from the Ducks, per Friedman. It’s unclear if they were the only team to submit a claim, but regardless, he’ll likely remain on the active roster for now with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen out day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.

Nov. 12: The Ducks have placed goaltender James Reimer on waivers for the purpose of assignment to AHL San Diego, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports Tuesday.

Anaheim acquired Reimer, 36, off waivers from the Sabres in early October, just before the regular season began. If Buffalo submits a claim for Reimer over the next 24 hours and is the only team to do so, they can send him directly to their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans.

The Ducks claimed Reimer to provide veteran support to breakout starter Lukáš Dostál while John Gibson was on the shelf for the first few weeks of the season after undergoing appendectomy surgery. With Dostál putting up some of the best numbers in the league in the early going, Reimer made only two starts over the past month, winning neither of them and posting a subpar .864 SV%, 4.50 GAA and -2.4 GSAA. Gibson came off injured reserve last Friday, meaning Reimer was no longer needed on the active roster.

Reimer is coming off a solid campaign with the Red Wings, where he recorded a .904 SV% and 3.11 GAA in 20 starts and five relief appearances. Those numbers indicate he still has it in him to be a solid backup option and could certainly handle a No. 3 role. That’s what the Sabres were banking on when they signed him to a one-year, $1MM contract over the summer, likely hoping that a seven-figure price tag was high enough to deter teams from claiming off waivers when they attempted to send him down at the beginning of the year.

That didn’t happen, but they’ll get another chance to have him starting for their minor-league affiliate while providing a much more stable recall option in case of injury to either Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen or Devon Levi than what they currently have. Their current No. 3 option, former Flyer Felix Sandström, has a .900 SV% in five appearances for the Amerks.

Ducks Claim James Reimer Off Waivers From Sabres

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The Ducks have claimed netminder James Reimer off waivers from the Sabres, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports.

Reimer, 36, has over 500 games of NHL experience and was still serviceable in a rotation role for the Red Wings last year but was knocked squarely into a third-string spot on the Sabres’ depth chart behind Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen after signing a one-year, $1MM deal there in July. He was largely expected to land on waivers unless Buffalo opted to carry three goalies.

While the veteran was solid enough for Detroit in 2023-24, his 20 starts and five relief appearances were both career-lows. His .904 SV%, 3.11 GAA, and 0.3 GSAA were all marked steps forward from the prior year’s showing with the rebuilding Sharks, however, and he’s still likely worth a shot as a full-time backup somewhere.

He’ll get that chance in Anaheim, at least for now. The Ducks were looking for a veteran name to add to the mix with John Gibson on the shelf to start the season after getting his appendix removed nearly two weeks ago. He’s still one to four weeks away from a return, meaning rookie Calle Clang (who has no NHL games played under his belt) was set to start the year as the backup to youngster Lukáš Dostál. After claiming Reimer, though, the Ducks can return Clang to AHL San Diego.

The Ducks now have their opening night roster set in stone at 13 forwards, eight defenders, and two goalies, assuming Clang is sent down. They’ll have $20.64MM in projected cap space after the acquisition, per PuckPedia.

Waiver Wire: 10/6/24

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Today is the major day for the waiver wire as most teams in the NHL are preparing the 23-man rosters for the 2024-25 NHL season. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman confirmed that all players on waivers from yesterday have cleared. The following list is each player placed on waivers this afternoon as reported by PuckPedia.

Boston Bruins

F Patrick Brown
G Brandon Bussi
G Jiri Patera
D Billy Sweezey
F Jeffrey Viel

Buffalo Sabres

D Kale Clague
G James Reimer
F Lukas Rousek

Calgary Flames

G Devin Cooley
F Jakob Pelletier
F Cole Schwindt

Carolina Hurricanes

F Josiah Slavin
D Ty Smith
F Ryan Suzuki

Chicago Blackhawks 

D Isaak Phillips

Detroit Red Wings

F Sheldon Dries
D Justin Holl
D William Lagesson
D Brogan Rafferty
F Joe Snively

Edmonton Oilers

D Josh Brown
F Drake Caggiula
F Raphael Lavoie
G Olivier Rodrigue

Los Angeles Kings

G Pheonix Copley
F Samuel Fagemo
F Jack Studnicka

Nashville Predators

D Marc Del Gaizo

New Jersey Devils

F Shane Bowers
D Nick DeSimone
F Nolan Foote
D Colton White

New York Islanders

D Samuel Bolduc
F Pierre Engvall
F Hudson Fasching
F Liam Foudy
G Marcus Hogberg
D Grant Hutton
F Fredrik Karlstrom
G Jakub Skarek

New York Rangers

D Matthew Robertson

Ottawa Senators

F Adam Gaudette
F Jan Jenik

Pittsburgh Penguins

D Sebastian Aho
F Bokondji Imama

St. Louis Blues

D Corey Schueneman
D Tyler Tucker

Tampa Bay Lightning

F Gage Goncalves
D Steven Santini
F Jesse Ylonen

Toronto Maple Leafs

G Matt Murray
D Marshall Rifai

Utah Hockey Club

G Matt Villalta

Vancouver Canucks

D Erik Brannstrom

Vegas Golden Knights

F Zach Aston-Reese
F Tanner Laczynski
F Jonas Rondbjerg

Washington Capitals

G Hunter Shepard

Winnipeg Jets

F Jaret Anderson-Dolan

Sabres Sign James Reimer

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Goaltender James Reimer has signed a one-year, one-way deal with the Sabres, per a team release. Initially announced as a two-way deal but quickly changed, the contract will pay him $1MM this season.

Reimer, 36, is coming off a middling 2023-24 campaign. He opened the season as part of a three-goalie rotation with the Red Wings alongside Ville Husso and Alex Lyon, but an injury to Husso early on upgraded him to a full-time backup role. The veteran netminder finished the season with decent numbers overall, posting a .904 SV% and 3.11 GAA with two shutouts in 25 games for the Wings with an 11-8-2 record. He was in no danger of ever stealing the starting role from the breakout journeyman Lyon, but he was serviceable and much-improved from a difficult 2022-23 season with the Sharks (.890 SV%, 3.48 GAA in 43 GP).

A league-average netminder over the course of his 14-year, 501-game career, it’s a bit surprising Reimer couldn’t find a home with more guaranteed playing opportunities next season. Instead, he’ll likely serve as veteran insurance for Buffalo’s young goalie duo of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi, the latter of whom projects to be ready for full-time NHL action this season after recording a .927 SV% in 26 games with AHL Rochester last year.

Reimer’s $1MM cap hit will make it easier to sneak him through waivers if he doesn’t crack the roster out of camp compared to a league-minimum deal. If he ends up as third on their depth chart and is assigned to Rochester, it would be his first time in the minors since 2010-11 with the Maple Leafs.

Red Wings Notes: Offseason Plans, Sandin Pellikka, Goaltending

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In his end-of-season availability for the press, the General Manager of the Detroit Red Wings, Steve Yzerman, had plenty to share about his team’s progress this year. After an 11-point bump from last season, the Red Wings tied for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with the Washington Capitals but were on the outside looking in due to the Capitals earning more regulation wins.

Being very non-committal about any dramatic changes coming to the roster, Yzerman did mention that forward Jonatan Berggren and defenseman Albert Johansson are already on the short-list to make the roster out of training camp for the 2024-25 NHL season (Article Link). A rumored trade candidate at this year’s deadline, Yzerman may be vocalizing his belief that Berggren is an NHL-ready talent, to boost his trade value to the 31 other teams.

Of the four forwards on the roster set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer, Yzerman is giving strong consideration to extending veteran David Perron. Not quite the player he used to be throughout his tenure with the St. Louis Blues, Perron is a valuable locker-room presence and scored big goals during pivotal moments for the Red Wings down the stretch.

For the other three including Patrick Kane, Daniel Sprong, and Christian Fischer, there is a decent probability that none of the trio will be back in Detroit next season. Now that Kane has proven himself healthy, and Sprong has become a legitimate top-six caliber forward, they may have already priced themselves off Detroit’s roster for next year.

Other Red Wings notes:

  •  One organizational prospect who will most likely not leap to North America next season is Swedish defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka according to Max Bultman of The Athletic. Originally the 17th player off the board in the 2023 NHL Draft, Sandin Pellikka’s career projections took a massive jump this season as he scored 10 goals and 18 points through 39 games in the SHL. In international play, Sandin Pellikka famously scored two goals and six points in 10 games for Team Sweden at the most recent IIHF World Junior Championships, becoming one of the more impactful players in the tournament.
  • In an article from Helene St.James of the Detroit Free Press, all signs are pointing to Detroit carrying three goaltenders on the roster once again next season. Given that the team already has Ville Husso and Alex Lyon signed into next season, the Red Wings could look to keep James Reimer around for a second year or look to the free agent market for a different option. The trio worked out mildly well for the organization throughout the regular season, as the Red Wings finished with a team save percentage of .897, good for 19th in the league.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Detroit Red Wings

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will be taking a look at what teams are thankful for in 2023-24. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Detroit Red Wings.

Who are the Red Wings thankful for?

Dylan Larkin.

Larkin had the opportunity to leave the Red Wings this past summer but opted to remain with the franchise signing a massive eight-year extension. Few people would’ve faulted the 27-year-old for bolting the only organization he’s ever known as his tenure in the Motor City hasn’t exactly been full of memorable moments. The Red Wings haven’t made the playoffs since Larkin’s rookie season back in 2015-16 and haven’t finished better than fifth in their division since that five-game ouster at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Larkin arrived in Detroit at a time when it seemed possible that the Red Wings could avoid a long rebuild and retool on the fly as they had a pile of emerging young talent to play alongside Larkin. However, many of Detroit’s top young players at the time failed to live up to expectations leading the Red Wings into a full-on rebuild that is in its eighth year.

Larkin has done his part through some very lean years in Detroit as he has led the team in scoring in five of the past seven seasons. As well as being their on-ice leader he has also become a leader in the dressing room when he was named their captain in January of 2021. Larkin has been a point-a-game player in each of the past three seasons and has done so without a ton of offensive help from his teammates.

Detroit should be thankful for Larkin, and thankful that the Waterford, Michigan native grew up in the metro Detroit area, which was probably a very big factor when it came to his decision to sign a long-term extension.

What are the Red Wings thankful for?

Scouting.

An argument can be made that perhaps the Red Wings scouting isn’t what it once was, but even if it is a fraction of what it used to be, that’s still better than most of the NHL. The Red Wings have historically been able to hit big on late-round draft picks and much of that credit belongs to Håkan Andersson who is the Director of European Scouting for Detroit. Andersson is largely responsible for the Red Wings drafting Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Johan Franzen, Tomas Holmstrom, Valtteri Filppula, Tomas Tatar, Jiri Hudler, Niklas Kronwall, Jonathan Ericsson, and Gustav Nyquist. While that list is impressive, even more impressive is that Detroit only drafted one of those players in the first round (Kronwall).

Unfortunately for Detroit’s scouting department, the NHL is very much a what have you done for me lately league and their drafting hasn’t been what it once was. That’s not to say they haven’t hit home runs. Tyler Bertuzzi was a late second-round pick, as was Filip Hronek, while Andreas Athanasiou was selected late in the fourth round. Unfortunately for the Red Wings, none of those players worked out in Detroit and they all find themselves in other uniforms.

At this moment, the Red Wings do have some emerging young forwards who could make an impact over the next few years. It will be interesting to re-evaluate the Red Wings scouting in five years to look back and see how they assessed their talent.

What would the Red Wings be even more thankful for?

A Patrick Kane return to form.

If Patrick Kane can be anything close to what he was before double hip surgery, the Red Wings will be a real threat in the Eastern Conference. If he ends up like many of his peers who have undergone a hip resurfacing procedure, he might not be able to make much of an impact.

Those are obviously very different outcomes, and it could ultimately be the difference in the Red Wings season. Kane is just two years removed from posting 26 goals and 66 assists in 78 games and if he can bring some of that offense to Detroit’s lineup, along with the leadership that comes with winning three Stanley Cups, then he could push Detroit to be among the contenders in the East. But, if he can’t, Detroit may not be able to outscore some of the subpar goaltending they have received from Ville Husso.

It’s too early to tell how Kane will hold up under the grind of the regular season, but so far, he has looked strong with a goal in two games. Despite starting a huge percentage of his shifts in the defensive zone, Kane has been able to drive play, and get some good looks at both five-on-five and on the power play. As he gets into better game shape, he could become a difference-maker for the Red Wings and that would be something for Detroit fans to be even more thankful for.

What should be on the Red Wings holiday wish list?

A starting goaltender.

Ville Husso isn’t it for Detroit. The 28-year-old has started the majority of the Red Wings games this year and has not been good. In 14 games thus far, the native of Helsinki, Finland has gone 8-4-2 with a .886 save percentage and 3.65 goals against average. Those numbers will not do for a team that is desperate to get back into the playoffs and who has a good enough lineup to do so if they can get the goaltending.

What complicates matters is that backups James Reimer and Alex Lyon have outplayed Husso by a very wide margin. Reimer is 2-2-2 in six starts and has a .922 save percentage with a 2.18 goals-against average, while Lyon is 4-2-0 with a .931 save percentage and a goals-against average of 2.13.

The wings are faced with several choices when it comes to their goaltending. They can ride it out with Husso and hope he finds his game while having Lyon and Reimer as backup options in case he falters. Or they can try and move Husso and his $4.75MM cap hit and then try and find another starting goaltender to replace him. Another option might be to add some additional depth, but with Lyon and Reimer already in the system it would become tricky to carry four goaltenders as one would have to be exposed to waivers. Carrying three goaltenders is already unusual, and if Detroit was to target a depth option, they would probably have to move one from one of their netminders.

Something that could work in Detroit’s favor is that they are one of the only contending teams that have a sizeable amount of cap space, meaning they could potentially acquire a goaltender and keep Husso if they wanted to, or move on from Husso and retain some of his cap hit in a trade.

If Husso does continue to struggle Detroit’s starting goalie job will be available, and it could become something to keep an eye on as we get closer to the trade deadline.

Detroit Red Wings Sign James Reimer

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The Detroit Red Wings have signed goalie James Reimer to a one-year, $1.5MM contract, the AP’s Stephen Whyno reports.

With Alex Nedeljkovic and Magnus Hellberg cut loose to the free agent market, the Red Wings needed to bring someone in who could serve as the backup to incumbent starter Ville Husso.

They’ve tapped Reimer to fill that role, a 35-year-old veteran of nearly 500 NHL games. Reimer has spent the last two seasons with the San Jose Sharks, and while he posted a brutal .890 save percentage this past season he did manage a .911 the year before. If the Red Wings can get play out of Reimer closer to his 2021-22 form, this will end up a sound investment for the club.

Reimer likely isn’t going to receive as heavy a workload in Detroit compared to what he got in San Jose, so getting more time off between games and less pressure placed on him than he had as a true tandem goalie could contribute to an improvement in Reimer’s numbers. That’s likely what Detroit is betting on here.

Goalie Notes: Hill/Brossoit, Reimer, Greiss

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The Vegas Golden Knights’ key bit of business this offseason revolves around the two netminders who helped guide them to the team’s first Stanley Cup: journeymen Adin Hill and Laurent Brossoit. In a massive piece detailing this summer’s goalie market from The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, both Hill’s and Brossoit’s agents expressed interest in returning to the team on behalf of their clients. Both pending unrestricted free agents, Hill and Brossoit filled in for the injured Logan Thompson down the stretch and in the playoffs, with Hill ultimately going on a miracle run for the last two-and-a-half rounds of the playoffs after Brossoit sustained a lower-body injury. Hill is obviously due a significant raise from his previous $2.175MM cap hit, but LeBrun surmises that Hill knows “they’ve got a good thing going in Vegas” and may not completely maximize the leverage coming from his spectacular playoff performance. Meanwhile, Brossoit’s agent, Ray Petkau, acknowledged it may be tough for the team to retain Brossoit given their crunch at the position, but will continue to remain in contact with Vegas and explore their options.

More from LeBrun on the goalie market this evening:

  • Petkau confirmed to LeBrun another one of his clients, San Jose Sharks netminder James Reimer, will hit unrestricted free agency on July 1. The 35-year-old veteran of nearly 500 games posted career-worst numbers behind a struggling Sharks team, notching just 12 wins in 41 starts and recording a .890 save percentage. While it’s hard to blame him for the team’s shortcomings, it’s also clear his days as a high-end tandem netminder are over, and he’ll likely need to settle for a strict backup role if he wants to stay in the league next season. He’ll also likely take a marginal pay cut from the two-year, $4.5MM deal he signed with San Jose in 2021.
  • Another Petkau client, Thomas Greiss, will also be hitting the open market. The 37-year-old is in a similar situation to Reimer, although he’s now gone two consecutive seasons without clearing the .900 save percentage mark. The St. Louis Blues’ backup job to starter Jordan Binnington is likely going to rising prospect Joel Hofer, so it makes sense the team wouldn’t be interested in a reunion. The one-time Jennings Trophy winner could also draw interest from teams looking for an inexpensive, experienced backup netminder to start between 15 and 25 games.

Pacific Notes: Sharks Goalies, Labanc, Carrier

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Despite benefitting from a historic offensive performance from number-one defenseman Erik Karlsson and strong production from Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl, the San Jose Sharks finished the 2022-23 season with the NHL’s fourth-worst record. Their 22-44-16 record in the first year of their David Quinn era put them in a prime position for next month’s draft lottery, but not exactly in a place to help their veteran players win a Stanley Cup. A significant factor contributing to the Sharks’ struggles this season was their goaltending, as neither of their regular netminders posted above an .890 save percentage.

Sharks fans, then, might be pleased to hear word from general manager Mike Grier, via The Athletic’s Corey Masisiak, that the team does not plan on bringing the same goalie tandem (James Reimer and Kaapo Kahkonen) into next season. Reimer, 35, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, while Kahkonen has another year left on his deal at a $2.75MM cap hit. Finding an experienced, capable partner for Kahkonen (.883 save percentage in 37 games) could be one of Grier’s top priorities for the summer.

Other Pacific Division notes:

  • Another Shark whose status is uncertain heading into the summer is winger Kevin Labanc, who scored 15 goals and 33 points this season and is making $4.75MM against the cap next season. Bay Area News Group’s Curtis Pashelka relays comments from Grier on Labanc’s future, with Grier saying “I can’t say whether he’ll be here. We’ll see what happens in the summer and what presents itself.” Labanc’s production has declined sharply since his 56-point 2018-19 season, and it’s worth noting that the Sharks could save nearly $4MM against the cap by buying out Labanc this summer, at the cost of nearly $2MM against the cap in 2024-25.
  • Vegas Golden Knights winger William Carrier was a surprise performer this season, flying past career highs to score 16 goals and 25 points in just 56 games. The 28-year-old has been with the Golden Knights since the franchise’s expansion draft and is under contract for $1.4MM through next season. He hasn’t played since a March 3rd contest against the New Jersey Devils, but thankfully for Vegas he could be nearing a return. Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy told the media, including The Athletic’s Jesse Granger, that Carrier could return during the first round against the Winnipeg Jets. That would be a significant addition to Vegas’ bottom six and would add some useful depth goal-scoring to an organization hoping to make another deep playoff run.

Pacific Notes: Reimer, Canucks, Stothers

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Some players are happy when they’re not traded at the deadline but that’s not the case for Sharks netminder James Reimer.  The veteran told Curtis Pashelka of the Bay Area News Group that he was disappointed to not be on the move on deadline day:

Obviously the goal is to win a Cup and it’s been the goal since I was three years old. So, it’s unfortunate it didn’t come to fruition. Obviously, that’s every guy’s dream in here.

Sharks GM Mike Grier acknowledged that he did try to move the 34-year-old but the goalie market was limited; not a single one moved on deadline day.  It also didn’t help that Reimer has struggled this season, posting a career-low .892 SV% in 32 games this season which likely played a role in the lack of interest in the pending unrestricted free agent.

More from the Pacific:

  • Although Vancouver was hoping to open up some cap flexibility at the deadline, that didn’t happen; instead, they actually added money with the acquisition of defenseman Filip Hronek. One way to open up space for the summer would be the buyout route although GM Patrik Allvin indicated in an appearance on Sportsnet 650 (audio link) that he’s hoping to avoid going that direction.  Buyout costs are two-thirds of the remainder of a player’s contract spread out over two times the remainder of the length of the deal.  That allows for some short-term cap savings but the dead cap expenses can drag on which is something the Canucks would like to avoid.
  • The Ducks announced that assistant coach Mike Stothers has been diagnosed with Stage 3 Melanoma and is set to undergo treatment and surgery in the coming weeks. He intends to continue working during this time.  Stothers is in his second season behind the bench with Anaheim on Dallas Eakins’ staff.  PHR wishes Stothers all the best in his recovery.

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