David Alter · The Hockey News - Toronto Maple Leafs Fri, November 6, 2026 at 1:02 PM UTC · 4 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The New York Rangers placed former Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender James Reimer on waivers Thursday , a move that could end his brief stint on Broadway and raises fresh questions about whether the 38-year-old's will make another appearance with the Rangers at any point this season.
Reimer signed a one-year, $850,000 contract with the Rangers on Oct. 25 after the club's goaltending situation collapsed early in the 2026-27 season. Igor Shesterkin suffered a season-ending knee injury , and Joonas Korpisalo was also sidelined , leaving Dylan Garand to carry the bulk of the workload. Reimer had been on a professional tryout with the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack , where he recorded a 35-save shutout against the Providence Bruins on Oct. 23, becoming the oldest to record one in the AHL in nearly two decades .
His only NHL appearance with the Rangers came four days after signing, on Oct. 26 against the Los Angeles Kings. He was pulled after one period after allowing three goals on eight shots in a 6-3 home loss. With Korpisalo progressing through a conditioning stint (34 saves on 37 shots in a Hartford game Wednesday) and expected to rejoin the team for an upcoming road trip, the Rangers needed the roster spot.
For Leafs fans, the waiver news may close another chapter in a career that began in Toronto. Selected in the fourth round (99th overall) in 2006, Reimer made his NHL debut on Dec. 20, 2010, and quickly seized the starting job. His first start, on New Year's Day 2011, was a 5-1 win over the Ottawa Senators . He won four of his first five starts and finished the season 20-10-5 with a 2.60 goals-against average, .921 save percentage and three shutouts in 37 games.
The lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign was the high-water mark. Reimer went 19-8-5 with a 2.46 GAA, .924 save percentage and four shutouts, becoming the first Leafs goalie since Ed Belfour in 2004 to lead the team into the playoffs . He started all seven games of that series against Boston, posting a 3-4 record, 2.88 GAA and .923 save percentage. Across parts of six seasons with Toronto he appeared in more than 200 games before being traded to San Jose at the 2016 deadline .
Last season brought a brief, nostalgic return. With Joseph Woll on personal leave , the Leafs signed Reimer to a professional tryout on Sept. 26, 2025 . He appeared in a preseason game against the Red Wings in Detroit on Oct. 4, entering mid-game and allowing four goals on 28 shots in a 6-5 overtime loss . The Leafs released him from the tryout two days later after claiming Cayden Primeau off waivers .
Reimer landed in Ottawa in mid-January 2026 after playing for Canada at the Spengler Cup and a short AHL tryout in Belleville . Signed to a one-year deal as the Senators dealt with Linus Ullmark's personal leave , he appeared in 14 games, going 7-4-2 with a 2.42 GAA, .886 save percentage and one shutout. His final start of the season was a 19-save effort in a 3-1 win over the Maple Leafs on April 15 .
Career totals stand at 540 games, a 232-191-67 record, 2.88 GAA, .909 save percentage and 32 shutouts across nine organizations.
Teams rarely claim goalies of Reimer's age and recent usage off waivers, and even if he clears and reports to Hartford, opportunities for meaningful NHL starts are limited unless more injuries occur.
Whether this is the end of the line depends less on one poor period than on whether any organization still values a low-cost, experienced body who has seen every situation and can hold the fort for a handful of games. History suggests those spots still exist. The market for them, however, shrinks every year past 35. Reimer has already proven he can find work when the need arises. The open question is how many more times that need will surface for him.
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Source: Sports
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