In this week’s roundtable we talk about the fate of Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender James Reimer.

Jan 31, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs goalie James Reimer (34) covers the puck against the Philadelphia Flyers during the second period at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

James Reimer’s status in Toronto has been up in the air since the arrival of Jonathan Bernier – and the pending rebuild doesn’t make it any clearer.

Question: With a market full of goaltenders this year – a buyer’s market, not a seller’s – what is the fate of James Reimer? Can the Leafs trade him? Should they trade him? Where could he go? Or does he ride out his final year of his contract?

Cynthia Bin

People are probably going to hate me for saying this, well the Bernier fans at least. But I would keep Reimer and let Bernier walk.

Why?

James Reimer is the first goaltender that the Leafs have drafted and developed (almost) correctly in a long time (Round 4 #99 overall 2006 NHL Entry Draft). He worked his way up through the system and found himself in the NHL and was showing a lot of promise.

Reimer’s confidence took a turn for the worse when Bernier was brought into town after the horrible Game seven collapse – Toronto always seems eager to throw away their “home grown talent.” The Maple Leafs aren’t exactly known for player development and it’s pretty easy to see that just by looking at their poor standings over the last several years.

We know the Leafs are in the process of a “rebuild” and James Reimer has one year left on his contract at $2M for the upcoming season, which will count as $2.3M towards the cap.

On the other hand you have Jonathan Bernier who is a RFA. Bernier, more than likely, is going to demand #1 goaltender pay with cap space especially tight nowadays. That being said, has Bernier really proved that he deserves that kind of pay? His last two seasons with the Leafs have been pretty lackluster – and there hasn’t been any major development or promise coming out of his game.

If you want to break it down by numbers, this year by the end of the season Reimer’s numbers had improved and Bernier’s had declined. Reimer posted a .907 save percentage and Bernier a .912 save percentage – really not that different.

If the Leafs are “rebuilding” do they really need to throw #1 goaltender pay at Bernier when they have Reimer who is capable of posting similar numbers? The next three years in Toronto aren’t exactly looking bright. Why not ride it out with Reimer who has one year left on his contract?

Reimer is the much cheaper and more cap friendly option. It would only be a bonus if Reimer were to regain his confidence and start to show that promising growth that he did just a few seasons ago when he was Toronto’s #1. There is really no downside to this situation. Cap space saved to spend on other much needed key pieces as well as the potential of a real “Toronto-made” #1 goaltender.

If by the end of next season Reimer were to show no further development or promise, then they could let him walk and not be chained to another monster sized contract and can continue on with the rebuild. In this one year time span they will also have given their younger goaltenders -Gibson/Bibeau/Sparks – another year of development in the minors with potential to either call up or move them for other valuable pieces.

At the end of the day, when the market is demanding bigger goaltenders (Reimer 6’2”, Bernier 5’11”), and when cap space is especially tight, why not stick with Reimer? Give the guy that was drafted by the Leafs, and who plays with heart, one last chance and send Bernier off to a team where he can thrive.

Let’s not make another 7 year 7 Million Dollar mistake. Stick with Reims and make a smart financial decision for once! Let the new Era begin.