The Florida Panthers have traded goalie James Reimer to the Carolina Hurricanes for Scott Darling and a sixth-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.
This fantasy impact piece will be relatively brief, as we’ll need to find out more about how both teams handle their goaltending situations in the upcoming free agency period.
Both of the Hurricanes’ goalies at the end of last season (Petr Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney) are UFAs. One could still return, or it’s possible that they could land someone like Robin Lehner. Given Reimer’s numbers last season (3.09 GAA and a .900 SV%), he would likely slot in as a backup goalie or a timeshare option at best. How many starts he would likely receive is yet to be seen.
The Panthers have been linked to Sergei Bobrovsky for a while, so trading Reimer and his $3.4 million cap hit for two more seasons could very well clear the way for him. To no one’s surprise, Darling has been placed on waivers by the Panthers, so his $4.15 million cap hit will be bought out.
Fantasy owners are already discussing the trade – give your take here!