Feeling good about James Reimer

I wish I knew enough about online technology so I could simply hit a button and see how many times since the end of the last NHL season that I’ve said here at VLM that I had faith that James Reimer could still be an important player for the Leafs.  I guess I’ve said it many different ways—“I still believe Reimer can play”, “I like Reimer”, “I’m a Reimer guy”, etc. but the message from me has continued to be:  I think that, despite injuries and his seeming “slide” last season, the kid can play goal.

Is he flawed?  Sure.  The Leafs are playing better—and so he is.  They go hand in hand.  More structure and a commitment to eliminating as many easy chances for the opposition as possible makes goaltending a bit easier.  And if you, as the ‘keeper, stand on your head sometimes, the rest of the team looks better—and the coach looks like a genius, too.

We all understand that there have not been many truly dominant goaltenders in this current era.  There have been some really good goalies, sure, but not many guys like Hasek, Brodeur, Roy, Belfour and goaltenders of that ilk.  Luongo has been pretty good, Kiprusoff, too but neither has won a Cup (not that that is the end all and the be all for netminders).

But if you go across the league, “hot and cold” has been the order of the day. In Montreal, Carey Price was a saviour, then a bum, then good enough to see the Habs get rid of Halak, then we saw some regression, then he was really good again.  Now he is seen as a top guy in the league.  But it wasn't exactly always a smooth ride.  Is he truly “great”?  I don’t know.  It’s the same with Halak.  He’s had a couple of nice runs, but would you say he is anywhere near the category of guys I referenced above?  I don’t think so.

Jonathan Quick emerged as a superstar last spring, but Jonathan Bernier is now pushing for time in the LA crease.  Mike Smith from from un-wanted in Tampa to a stud in Phoenix, but is he a consistent "star"?  Cam Ward is “good”, but not awe-inspiring on a regular basis.  Or maybe you think he is- that's just my opinion from watching him over the years.

Lundqvist is awfully good in New York, for sure, maybe the best in the league.  Or is he?  (Does it matter to you that he hasn't won a Cup? All of the true "superstar" goalies I cited above did...)  Do most objective observers think he's the best?  Regardless, he’s a fine goaltender.

Tim Thomas had a solid run for a few years, but I doubt we’ll speak of him in all-time terms, either, as nice as his “out of nowhere” story was in Boston.  Philly’s been looking for a true superstar since Bernie Parent.  And we could go on.

My point is that it is seemingly awfully difficult to draft, find, develop, whatever, a goaltender that you can look at and project out over the next ten years and say, “Don't worry, we’re covered here”.  It's not just the Leafs. Few teams have had the security of a Brodeur in net over the years, somebody they know will be really good year after year (and will play seemingly forever).

Here in Toronto, I’m not suggesting that we have a bonafide star in James Reimer.  I’m just pleased that those of us who have always liked him and believed he could play are seeing him continue to progress, despite injuries and the challenges of playing under the Toronto marketplace microscope.

Many were desperate for the Leafs to make a run at Luongo, and that might have worked out fine.  I'm not a Luongo guy as I've stated here many times before, but I get why people would want him here, or at least did want him here.  But as I posted a few days ago, this has been a “free shot” year for Randy Carlyle, a season where he can experiment without the pressure or expectations of having to win “right now”.   Few, if any, observers expected big-time results with the current roster.  Most Leaf fans were prepared to accept some semblance of improvement.

I recognize and have many times said here that the bar has been way too low in Toronto for too long.  It should never be enough in the best hockey market in the world to be satisfied with being OK, or just making the playoffs.  The objective has to be a lot higher than that.

But given where we’ve been, you have to take steps and part of that process has been Nonis and Carlyle seeing what they have, who they can rely on and making assessments along the way.  That the team has been able to run with two “unproven” guys in goal and wins games is huge.  I have no clue if both of these guys will pan out as consistent, high-end NHL goalies.  Maybe.  Maybe not.  We’ll see.

But both are fighters, and I think Reimer is showing a competitive side that I’m sure those who know and have played with him already knew he had.  He wants to be 'number-one', and has played pretty darn well this season overall.

Those who visit here know I’m a big fan of how he presents himself in public as well.  If he can somehow maintain what seems to be a genuinely positive and friendly disposition while playing his position well, he will bask in the glow of long-term popularity in Leafland, and may some day fall in line with Leaf greats like Gilmour and Clark in people's hearts.  Now, he has a long, long way to go—and there are a lot of playoff series to win—before we can legitimately make that kind of claim.  But my point is simply that in this market, we appreciate and always remember warmly those Leafs who not only play hard and do their best for us, but who seem to appreciate the adulation they receive and aren’t arrogant jerks.  That’s why (in addition to four Stanley Cups, of course) Johnny Bower (shown in his playing days in the early 1960s, above right) was beloved by Leaf supporters and still is to this day, at the age of 88.  That’s why people still love Gilmour and Clark.  If you’re good, if you're a decent guy and you give everything you have, you’ll always be in our Maple Leaf “memory”.  And fondly so.

I hope Reimer can continue to stay healthy and play the kind of goal that I think he can.  Can he be an all-time great?  Will he ever lead us to a Stanley Cup?  Those things would be nice, but not really even necessary.  Compete for us, do your best, leave it all on the ice and keep being a solid individual. 

Leave the rest to us.  We’ll take care you of.