The Deal on Reimer

VANCOUVER--It's hardly a contract that will break the bank or constrain the Maple Leafs from doing anything else they want to do now or in the near future.

Heck, when James Reimer suits up over the next three seasons, he still won't be making the average NHL salary.

So the exposure here for Brian Burke and Co. is very limited. 

That said, giving Reimer a three-year, $5.4 million contract today as reported first by The Star is a leap of faith based on a half-season of elite goaltending. They can't say they know exactly what they have.

Look at L.A. Kings goalie Jonathan Quick, whose contract served as the template for Reimer's deal.

Quick has played three full NHL seasons, has 96 wins, and in each season his save percentage has been above .900 and his G.A.A. at 2.54 or better. Quick, 25, signed his extension last fall and it kicks in next season. He also, at age 25, already has 12 playoff games under his belt.

By comparison, Reimer, a little younger at age 23, has 20 NHL wins that came with a save percentage of.921 and a G.A.A. of 2.60. His only playoff experience as a pro has been in the ECHL.

So the Leafs had to made an educated guess on whether Reimer's excellence last season can be carried forward. He also did well at the world championships this spring, although in the end, head coach Ken Hitchcock turned to L.A.'s other young goalie, Jonathan Bernier.

Now the focus has to turn towards getting a reliable, helpful backup for Reimer, somebody who can play 35 games if necessary, somebody who can go in an play four or five in a row if Reimer goes cold and needs to regroup. Hard to believe that's J.S. Giguere. Even harder to believe it's Jonas Gustavsson. The answer probably lies outside the organization.

But finding that answer matters. It's all well and good that the Leafs obviously believe in Reimer, and he may be the real deal. But he'll still need help.

 

Comments

[John Carss]

I think it's worth mentioning that Hitchcock went with another goalie and lost.

[80s Leafs]

If that Schneider fella is let go by the Canucks this summer, he'd be a great pickup. Please, no more has-been-10-years-ago, or never-will-be goalies for this team!

[Glenburnie]

Brian Burke's record to date with the Leafs is one of giving players too much money for too many years. Since he became Leafs' GM in 2008, he has doled out several such overly-generous contracts. Ironically, the one and only player Burke has been stingy with is the only one of his signings who has achieved as expected - Clarke Macarthur. Burke also refused to offer a decent contract in 2009 to centre Dominic Moore, and let him go for nothing. Moore has, of course, become an integral part of the resurgent Tampa Bay Lightning, while the Leafs still lack a credible first or third line centre.
So Reimer's contract smacks of yet more poor judgement and salary cap management by Burke and Nonis.

[Alan C.]

This is where the Leafs have gone wrong in the past.Bringing in experienced help when they aren't close to contending.I believe Reimer will do fine although that remains to be seen and I would let the other 4 young goalies fight it out for the back up spot as long as they play at least 25 games...keep drafting, developing and growing organizational depth.I've waited this long.I'd rather wait a few years and have the hope of a long term, solid, competitive organization than panicking or getting impatient and sending us back to where we've been for most of 43 years.

[Artie]

I still maintain they overpaid.

What leverage did Reimer have over Burke with only a half season of experience?

[Stanley]

Hitchcock went with Bernier over Reimer, it's true. How'd that work out for Team Canada, anyway?

[Ken Baumgertner]

I think it was a smart signing, even if it was academic. At least it wasn't overpayng to the extreme. One thing you can say about Brian Burke that you could not with other GM's in Toronto, he does not over value his made in Toronto players, nor does he overvalue the free agents that everyone thinks are the second coming of Davey Keon. Good work Mr. Burke, I look forward to training camp and seeing what you have in store for us this year fall.

[Dave]

One key factor that you haven't mentioned Mr. Cox, would be that the Kings have a better team in front of Quick. While I love Shenn, I couldn't honestly argue he's progressed as far as Jack Johnson; and couldn't even include him in a coversation about Drew Doughty. Also the league has provided a great scope of goaltending depth that is required, simply looking at teams such as the Flyers, Sharks, and maybe even the Red Wings (attempting to sign Nabakov); you could argue that it's paramount to any franchise that they consider having 3 elite keepers. That being said, I have a lot of hope for the leafs; as a young team with much to learn, I only hope something doesn't happen to de-rail the current trajectory (ie Berard getting his eye poked out, and on that note; since when is the injury considered in punishment {Horton vs Rome} and why was Hossa never punished for his deliberate act that effectively ended a player's career?).

[Dave]

and I don't mean to re-hash the Berard incident, it just hurts because that leaf team had a lot of potential and I felt he was the lynch-pin. And talk about late, if you watch the replay, Hossa's swing at a puck that went past; you'd have to define it as "in a different period" and if you examine the context, just seconds prior Berard made a pretty steal stripping him of the puck in a prime scoring location, humiliating him and so he retaliated with a clear 2-hander to the face excused by the fact that puck was within reaching distance two seconds before he swung (slapped back in by the D keeping it in the zone, honestly even if he timed it up right it would have been a fluke for him to touch the puck and I'll never understand why he was swinging so high; as I recall the puck was on the ice).

[nugget]

@Dave - how the heck does one get from Reimer's contract to an unrelated accident that happened more than 11 years ago ? Consensus around the league was that it was unintentional, and even Berard himself said that it wasn't Hossa's fault. If he believes that, and other professionals believe that, I wonder why you would bring it up so much later in a completely unrelated thread.

[johnny]

Reimer had plenty of leverage. There's no one else. Besides, $1.8 mil isn't a big risk for the teachers' pension fund.j