James Reimer’s tenure with the Maple Leafs has been rocky at times, but he doesn’t want to see it come to an end.
“This is the only organization I know and it was always my dream when I got drafted to play my whole career here,” Reimer told the Toronto Sun. “It’s one of the best, I mean it is the best place to play and by far the best place to win and having seen that there is no place I would rather go. Hopefully, I can keep working hard and keep earning the job and we can have a lot of success.”
He’ll be eligible to test the unrestricted free agent waters for the first time in the summer of 2016 after completing his current two-year, $4.6 million contract. Although there was a time when it looked like Reimer would be the team’s starting goaltender, he’s now 27 years old and has spent the last two seasons primarily serving as the understudy.
The Maple Leafs’ decision to bring in Jonathan Bernier before the start of the 2013-14 season and Reimer’s streaky play have contributed to that. His lack of playing time has led to tension in the past, but everyone will get a fresh start under new coach Mike Babcock and GM Lou Lamoriello.