Rangers waive Reimer after one start, place Durzi on IR

The New York Rangers made two roster moves ahead of their game against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night.

Defenseman Sean Durzi was placed on injured reserve, retroactive to October 26, with an undisclosed injury.

Goaltender James Reimer was placed on waivers, according to Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press.

Neither transaction came as a surprise to those following the team.

Durzi, 28, has not played since the Rangers’ October 26 matchup against the Los Angeles Kings.

That game was also the night Reimer made his only start for New York.

Reimer was pulled after allowing three goals on eight shots in just 20 minutes of work.

The Rangers signed the 38-year-old veteran late last month to a one-year contract.

The plan was for Reimer to spell rookie goaltender Dylan Garand, who had been playing almost nonstop since franchise netminder Igor Shesterkin was lost for the season with a knee injury.

Instead, Reimer struggled in his only chance, and Garand has played in 11 consecutive games.

Garand posted a 1.85 goals-against average and .929 save percentage in his first six starts.

In his past five starts, those numbers have fallen to 3.50 and .877.

The decision to place Reimer on waivers signals that Joonas Korpisalo is nearing a return from his lower-body injury.

Korpisalo stopped 34 of 37 shots in a conditioning start with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack on Wednesday night, good for a .918 save percentage in a loss to the Hershey Bears.

Korpisalo’s injury during the first week of the season set off a chain reaction in the Rangers’ crease.

The Rangers acquired Korpisalo from Boston over the summer to back up Shesterkin.

Garand cleared waivers prior to opening night and was assigned to Hartford to play regularly.

When Korpisalo got hurt, Garand was recalled.

When Shesterkin went down with a season-ending knee injury, Garand became the go-to option.

Reimer was signed as insurance, but after one period, that experiment is over.

If Reimer clears waivers in the next 24 hours, he can be assigned to Hartford.

He would then serve as the backup to Callum Tung with the Wolf Pack.

Durzi’s injury situation is unusual because the Rangers have not disclosed the nature of the injury.

They have not even classified it as upper body or lower body.

Because Durzi was placed on IR retroactive to October 26, he is eligible to be activated as soon as he is medically cleared.

He has already passed the seven-day minimum required by the NHL’s injured reserve rules.

According to head coach Mike Sullivan, quoted by Remy Mastey of The Hockey News, Durzi’s return is not immediate.

“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.”

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

Placing Durzi on IR does not free up cap space, but it does free up a roster spot for a recall if the team chooses to bring someone up for the trip.

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

The Durzi-Pettersson pairing has played nearly 190 minutes together this season.

According to MoneyPuck, that pairing has posted a 44.4% expected goals share.

Durzi has scored two goals and five points in 14 games this season with a minus-1 rating.

This is Durzi’s first year with the Rangers after being acquired in a trade.

For Reimer, the waiver placement may mark the end of his NHL career.

Yahoo Sports reported that it looks like Reimer’s NHL career is now over.

Reimer is a 15-year NHL veteran who has played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, San Jose Sharks, Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, Anaheim Ducks, Detroit Red Wings, and now the Rangers.

He has appeared in 515 NHL regular-season games, posting a 2.81 goals-against average and .909 save percentage.

In the playoffs, Reimer has a 2.76 goals-against average and .915 save percentage in 26 games.

His best season came in 2015-16 with the Sharks, when he posted a 2.31 goals-against average and .922 save percentage in 37 games.