Rangers Waive Goalie After Just One Start

The New York Rangers placed defenseman Sean Durzi on injured reserve and waived goaltender James Reimer ahead of their game against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Durzi's injury is retroactive to October 26, according to Blue Seat Blogs.

The defenseman, 28, has not played since the Rangers' October 26 matchup against the Los Angeles Kings.

Pro Hockey Rumors reports that Durzi's injury is undisclosed — the Rangers have not classified it as upper body or lower body.

Placing Durzi on IR does not free up cap space, but it does open a roster spot for a potential recall.

The Rangers are heading west after tonight's game against the Flyers for a four-game road trip through the NHL's Pacific Division.

The retroactive date means Durzi is already eligible to be activated as soon as he is healthy, having hit the seven-day mark.

Head coach Mike Sullivan addressed Durzi's status earlier this morning, according to Remy Mastey of The Hockey News.

"I don't know that he's going to make the trip initially," Sullivan said.

"I think it all depends on how he progresses, whether he comes initially on the road trip with us. If he doesn't, I would anticipate him joining us. Something of that nature."

Durzi has scored two goals and five points in 14 games this season with a -1 rating in his first year with the Rangers.

Once he returns, he is expected to resume his role in the Rangers' top-four defensive pairing alongside Marcus Pettersson.

According to MoneyPuck, that pairing has played nearly 190 minutes together this season, earning a 44.4% expected goals percentage.

The second move involves goaltender James Reimer, who was placed on waivers and is now available to all 31 other NHL teams, per Gino Hard of Markerzone.com.

Reimer, 38, made just one start for the Rangers this season.

In that lone appearance on October 27, he allowed three goals on eight shots in a single period of work.

That outing ended up being the entirety of Reimer's season in New York — one game, one period, three goals against, and now a waiver wire transaction.

The move signals the impending return of goaltender Joonas Korpisalo, who was assigned to the AHL on a conditioning stint yesterday morning.

In his first game back from injury with the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack, Korpisalo stopped 34 of 37 shots for a .918 save percentage in a loss to the Hershey Bears.

Korpisalo is listed on injured reserve with a foot injury, and according to the latest injury report he is expected to be out until at least November 9.

Even if Reimer clears waivers in the next 24 hours, he will likely remain on the roster until Korpisalo is fully healthy, providing additional roster flexibility.

Once Korpisalo returns, there is no room for a third goaltender who has already shown he cannot hold a game together, as Markerzone.com notes.

Carrying Reimer through that return would have been a roster luxury the team doesn't need.

The Rangers are 8-7-1 through 16 games this season and sit third in the Metropolitan Division.

They are 7-2-0 at home and just 1-5-1 on the road, making every goaltending decision critical as the schedule turns away from Madison Square Garden.

Reimer's start was one of those games that quickly sours a team's view of a depth move.

Moving on this fast is the right call, according to Markerzone.com, which also noted the Rangers should have had a better plan in net before leaning on a 38-year-old for a start.

Reimer is 38 years old and has 539 regular-season games on his NHL resume.

He was never going to be a long-term answer, but the experiment ended after just 20 minutes of ice time.

If another team claims Reimer off waivers, the Rangers are done with the issue.

If nobody does, Reimer's next stop becomes the more interesting story, and the answer should come within the next day.

For now, the Rangers will host the Flyers tonight before heading west for their Pacific Division road trip.

The question of who backs up Igor Shesterkin on that trip remains open until Korpisalo is cleared to return.

What happens with Durzi's recovery timeline will determine how the Rangers manage their defensive lineup in the coming weeks.

Both moves reflect a team making roster adjustments as they navigate injuries and performance issues early in the season.

The Rangers' front office has not commented further on either transaction beyond the official roster moves.

Waivers are a standard NHL procedure that allow other teams to claim a player within a 24-hour window.

If no team claims Reimer, he will report to the Hartford Wolf Pack, the Rangers' AHL affiliate, as a backup to Callum Tung.