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UFA of the Day: James Reimer

St Louis Blues v San Jose Sharks - Game Four

SAN JOSE, CA - MAY 21: James Reimer #34 of the San Jose Sharks skates on in relief of Martin Jones #31 in game four of the Western Conference Finals during the 2016 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at SAP Center on May 21, 2016 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

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Every day until June 30, we’ll write about a pending unrestricted free agent. Today’s UFA of the Day is...

James Reimer

The 28-year-old goaltender’s career has been one of big ups and downs, but he’s set to enter the free agent market on a high note. After two disappointing campaigns, Reimer was one of the few silver linings on an otherwise dreary 2015-16 Maple Leafs until Toronto dealt him to the Sharks on Feb. 27. That move gave Reimer an opportunity to show what he could do with a strong team in front of him.

Reimer posted a 1.62 GAA and .938 save percentage in his eight regular season starts with San Jose and at one time his presence seemed to spark a goaltending controversy after Sharks coach Peter DeBoer refused to name his starter for the playoffs on March 25. Of course, ultimately the Sharks did stick with Martin Jones and that’s worked out for them, but the fact that Reimer could come in at the 11th hour and threaten a goaltender that was having a good season speaks to Reimer’s own success during his stint.

Once the Stanley Cup Final ends, Reimer will have completed a two-year, $4.6 million contract and find himself eligible to test the unrestricted free agent market for the first time. While his inconsistent history makes him something of a gamble, he’s still likely to get a significant raise this summer and that might price him out of San Jose, which is paying Martin Jones $3 million annually through 2017-18 and will want to factor in the distinct possibility that Jones will expect a big payday after his current contract plays out.

One possible destination for Reimer would be Calgary as the Flames’ goalie situation was a problem in 2015-16 and of the four netminders they used at the NHL level, only Joni Ortio is still under their control as a restricted free agent. Plus Brian Burke is the team president and was a supporter of Reimer when they were both a part of the Maple Leafs’ organization. Perhaps they’ll be working together again in 2016-17.

Click here for all our 2016 UFA profiles.