The Rangers are adding some veteran goaltending depth to their organization in the wake of Igor Shesterkin’s season-ending injury and Joonas Korpisalo’s presence on long-term injured reserve.
James Reimer, the 38-year-old who has played in 539 career NHL games, signed a professional tryout agreement with AHL Hartford, the Wolf Pack announced Monday. Reimer can play in up to 25 games before they’d need to make a call on his future, and Hartford’s depth has been thinned with Dylan Garand and Spencer Martin — who began the season as the Blueshirts’ top two AHL options — now in the NHL.
Callum Tung and Gabriel Carriere have been the Wolf Pack’s goaltenders so far. The Rangers said Oct. 10 that Korpisalo would miss another four weeks.
Reimer hasn’t started more than 25 games in a season at the NHL level since 2022-23, and last year, he appeared in 14 with the Senators — including 13 starts — while posting a 7-4-2 record, an .886 save percentage and a 2.42 goals against average.
For his career, which began with six years with the Maple Leafs starting in 2010-11, Reimer has recorded a .909 save percentage and 2.87 goals against average.
He’s not exactly a splashy name to drastically alter the Rangers’ goaltending picture, but Reimer will still get a chance to carve out a place on the depth chart that has already experienced an overhaul since opening night.
Before the Blueshirts’ second game of the season, Korpisalo was ruled out with a lower-body injury, and just over a week later, Shesterkin sustained a season-ending right knee injury.
That forced Garand — who’d lost the backup competition in training camp and was sent to Hartford after clearing waivers before getting recalled after Korpisalo’s injury — to become the starter.
Garand has thrived with his chance so far, winning both of his starts since Shesterkin’s injury entering Thursday’s match with the Devils.
He has collected a .951 save percentage and 1.15 goals against average through his four appearances, with both numbers leading NHL goaltenders with at least three appearances.
