The Ottawa Senators epically bad night in Colorado raised numerous questions about the club’s fate. The Avalanche annihilated the Sens 8-2, highlighted by a second-period collapse. That collapse saw Colorado score six times, making the game 8-1 after 40 minutes.
Starting goalie Leevi Merilainen got pulled after surrendering the third goal early in the second. The move seemed to light a spark as Shane Pinto made the game 3-1. But then, the wheel came completely off, with backup Mads Sogard surrendering the five spot.
Merilainen came back into the game for the third period. He finished the night with an uneventful third period.
The utter collapse in Colorado led to an inevitable outcome for the Senators. Insider Darren Dreger reported that Ottawa had signed former Toronto Maple Leafs goalie James Reimer to a professional tryout contract on Thursday night.
The move itself isn’t a surprise. What does seem surprising is that the Senators would turn to the veteran backstop. But then again, the team really didn’t have much of a choice. Starting netminder Linus Ullmark will be away from the club for an unknown period.
As such, the Senators need stability in the crease. And signing Ullmark is about as good as GM Steve Staios can do for now.
Reimer will likely get a brief conditioning stint in the AHL before officially joining the Senators. Ottawa will face the Florida Panthers on Saturday night at home. They’ll have a couple of days off ahead of their next game on Tuesday night against the Vancouver Canucks.
Senators Face Significant Uncertainty without Ullmark
The Senators face considerable uncertainty without Linus Ullmark. The Sens’ starting netminder left the club on a personal matter. The club has been adamant about protecting his privacy during this period.
However, online harassment led the Senators to issue a statement dismissing false claims. The situation has gotten to such proportions that the Merilainen-Sogard tandem just isn’t enough. Both young goalies have proven to be unprepared for the rigors of full-time NHL work.
That’s why the club has no choice but to turn to a veteran option like Reimer. It’s worth pointing out that this is not a case of the Senators being cheap; it’s just that there aren’t any other options readily available to solve matters.
Reimer Is Best Ottawa Can Do Right Now
While the solution might have been a trade for a solid NHL goalie, the fact is that the current goalie market is slim pickings. The lack of teams willing to sell at the moment forced the Senators to turn to someone like Reimer. The club, thus, needed an immediate solution, and Reimer could step in right away.
It’s also worth highlighting that this move may not be the last goaltending transaction for the Senators. There’s a good chance they may still scour the market to see if there’s anything else available. The Sens believe they are a playoff team and will not easily give up on this season.
However, the impending Olympic roster freeze could force the Senators’ hand. Unless the club believes Ullmark could be back soon enough, the Senators will have to scramble to stabilize their crease moving forward.
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