The Ottawa Senators face a bit of a complex situation in the crease. The recent acquisition of Samuel Ersson pretty much signaled that he would be the backup to Linus Ullmark next season. But then, the club decided not to qualify Ersson. That decision made Ersson a UFA, though it does preclude Ersson from signing with the Senators.
That said, the shuffling leaves one question mark sort of hanging in the air. James Reimer is also a UFA this summer and could be looking to play one more season. The 37-year-old essentially stepped in to save the Senators this past season. The veteran netminder provided solid goaltending during a period in which Ottawa didn’t really have an NHL goaltender able to take over consistently.
That’s why the Senators should bring Reimer back. He wouldn’t be a costly addition. If anything, the Sens can sign him to an incentive-laden contract to keep him in the fold next season. But that proposition might not be quite so easy.
Senators would need to sign Reimer to two-way contract
The dilemma here is that if the Senators signed both Ersson and Reimer to NHL contracts, one of them would have to clear waivers, unless the team planned to carry three goalies all season.
That’s unlikely. So, the easiest path would be to sign Reimer to a two-way contract. These types of contracts provide flexibility in sending players down from the NHL to the AHL and back up. The only difference lies in the salary. When a player is on the NHL roster, he gets NHL pay. When he’s down in the AHL, he gets a different type of salary.
That sort of deal gives the organization flexibility depending on the team’s needs. While it’s not the nicest thing to say, there’s always the chance that one of Ersson or Reimer just won't work out next season. Therefore, having a third goalie in the pipeline is always necessary. And even if all three goalies play out of their minds, injuries happen. Senators fans saw that first-hand this past season.
So, having a third, capable goalie is no longer a luxury for NHL teams.
Let’s see where things go. The club will have free agency to contend with starting on Wednesday. It will be a matter of seeing if Ersson does, in fact, sign with the Senators. Otherwise, GM Steve Staios will need to figure out alternatives.
Add us as a preferred source on Google