Toronto Maple Leafs: Trading James Reimer Would Be a Mistake

Contract Demands Should Not Be Outrageous

Whenever there is a debate about what a player should get in his next contract, many tend to make comparisons to other players or situations to get a better idea of the market value. One comparison that has been made to Reimer has been Devan Dubnyk from the Minnesota Wild.

Dubnyk struggled to get a starting job in Edmonton, Nashville, Arizona and Montreal. However, once he made his way to the defensively stacked Wild team, he was able to rejuvenate his career.

Comparing the season Dubnyk had last season with Minnesota to the one Reimer is currently having with the Leafs, they are similar. Dubnyk had a 27-9-2 record with a 1.78 GAA and a .936 sv%, while Reimer has a 10-8-6 record with a 2.12 GAA and a .932 sv%.

Obviously the records are not the same, because the Wild are a contending team in the West while the Leafs are rebuilding. This season, Dubnyk’s stats have not been as good in 38 starts – his GAA of 2.33 and sv% of .919 are a major difference from the 39 games he played last season.

At a $4,333,333 cap hit over six years, the Wild are getting decent value in that deal. That was also after Dubnyk went to free agency and still ended up returning to Minnesota.

The other thing to consider is that Reimer has earned the confidence of his coach Mike Babcock, which is not something to be taken lightly. He has kept the Leafs in a lot of close games, especially against tougher competition.

It should not be tough to get Reimer to sign a deal with a cap hit between $4.5-$5 million a season, but what is important for Leafs management to figure out, is how much term he is looking for. It would be hard to say he has earned a six-year extension, but he does deserve more than two.

Next: Jonathan Bernier