With a young goalie in Adin Hill and no more Martin Jones, the Sharks have found a new starter.
After the San Jose Sharks traded for restricted free agent Adin Hill from the Arizona Coyotes and bought out Martin Jones, goaltending seems to be the big focus for the team this off-season.
Hill has played in 49 for the Coyotes for parts of four seasons, all which were split between the NHL and AHL. The Sharks were looking for a veteran goaltender to pair with the young Hill, and they seem to have found it in a familiar face. The club announced today that they have signed free agent James Reimer to a two-year contract. Per his agent Ray Petkau, the deal comes with a modified no-trade clause and a cap hit of $2.25 million.
Once again, the Sharks have dipped back into their history, as the 33-year-old donned a Sharks sweater for a few months in 2016, when the team acquired him from the Toronto Maple Leafs to shore up for a playoffs run that brought the team to the Stanley Cup Final.
Reimer was a big help to the Sharks during that run, allowing Martin Jones to rest ahead of playoffs. Given the market, it’s a great move again to bring him back to help the club again. He fits the veteran status with 11 seasons of NHL experience and he has often played the tandem role with other goaltenders throughout his career. This would be a great fit to partner him with Hill, as it will take the pressure off him to play the majority of the season.
“James is an experienced NHL goaltender who we know well from his previous stint in San Jose,” said Sharks general manager Doug Wilson in a release. “Along with Adin Hill, his addition helps solidify the goaltending position for our club and we’re very excited to bring him back to the Sharks.”
Reimer had a bit of a down year with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2021, playing 22 games with a .906 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.66 goals against average (GAA). Compared to his career average of .913 SV% and 2.79 GAA, he has already proven he can be a reliable goaltender and help a team win every night.