The Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers swapped veteran goaltenders just hours before the NHL Free Agency period begins Sunday night, in to Monday, July 1st. The Hurricanes acquired goalie James Reimer from the Florida Panthers in exchange for fellow goalie Scott Darling. Darling was reportedly immediately placed on waivers by the Panthers, as they look to buy out the remaining two years on his contract. The trade also included a sixth-round draft pick in the 2020 NHL Draft for Florida.
The 31-year-old Reimer posted a record of 13-12-5 with a .900 save percentage in 36 games this past season for the Panthers, which was his third team of his career. He's also played for the San Jose Sharks and Toronto Maple Leafs, and has 338 NHL games under his belt, with a record of 144-120-19. He was dealt by the Panthers as they look to clear up some cap space, which is why they also cut ties with Darling right away.
The Hurricanes gladly took Reimer with the possibility of both Petr Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney becoming unrestricted free agents this summer. They parted ways with Darling in just his second season, but he played in just eight games this past season. The former Chicago Blackhawks net-minder was just 2-4-2 in a tumultuous 2018-19 campaign. He was not happy with getting demoted to the AHL and was granted a leave of absence in February. Darling does have five years of NHL experience, going 54-42-18 in 126 games in his career. He will now be looking for a fourth home some time this summer, as he got caught up in the money game that is the Panthers' organization.
The 31-year-old Reimer posted a record of 13-12-5 with a .900 save percentage in 36 games this past season for the Panthers, which was his third team of his career. He's also played for the San Jose Sharks and Toronto Maple Leafs, and has 338 NHL games under his belt, with a record of 144-120-19. He was dealt by the Panthers as they look to clear up some cap space, which is why they also cut ties with Darling right away.
The Hurricanes gladly took Reimer with the possibility of both Petr Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney becoming unrestricted free agents this summer. They parted ways with Darling in just his second season, but he played in just eight games this past season. The former Chicago Blackhawks net-minder was just 2-4-2 in a tumultuous 2018-19 campaign. He was not happy with getting demoted to the AHL and was granted a leave of absence in February. Darling does have five years of NHL experience, going 54-42-18 in 126 games in his career. He will now be looking for a fourth home some time this summer, as he got caught up in the money game that is the Panthers' organization.
