1. James Reimer
James Reimer, despite some solid play in the 2019-20 season, could be one of the players the Hurricanes look to move on from. The Hurricanes have Alex Nedeljkovic, who had some playing time last season, waiting to finally get a full season at the NHL level. And for the 2020-21 season, Nedeljkovic’s contract becomes a one-way deal.
Reimer was 14-6-2 in the 25 games he played in this season. He had .914 save percentage and a 2.66 GAA. He was one of the surprises this year for the Hurricanes as he provided his value after being acquired in the unloading of Scott Darling’s contract to the Florida Panthers. He proved to be what the Hurricanes needed for this season, but his time may be up due to some other factors. Age and a logjam at the position.
Stop, Drop, and Reimer pic.twitter.com/qvyHtEWFig
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) December 20, 2019
Petr Mrazek would be the goalie you want to keep in this situation because of age. The logjam at the goalie position will force the Hurricanes hand to make a move somewhere. The Hurricanes have to give Nedeljkovic a shot just based on the amount of time they spent developing him. And due to the age of Reimer, I think that he is the one that is the most likely to be moved.
Reimer was a very solid piece for the Hurricanes, but with the current situation and an expiring deal, a team with goalie troubles may look to take a flier on him. I don’t think Reimer returns after the 2020-21 season if he were to stay on the team anyway. Why not try to take advantage and get something in return for him?