The Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender consultant, Francois Allaire, went out of his way to praise James Reimer in the Toronto Sun. "I have started a lot of young kids in the league, some really good ones, and I think James is as good as anyone else I have coached so far in my career," Allaire said. " His progression has been phenomenal for one reason - his work ethic has been phenomenal. I've been impressed with James the last two seasons." Reimer burst onto the scene in the second half of the season in 2011 with a fantastic stretch of games as a rookie, posting a 20-9-8 record with a .922 save percentage. It's going to be really hard for him to prove what he did last season wasn't a fluke and is a huge question mark coming into training camp. Can he handle the enormous pressure that will be placed on his shoulders in Toronto? Reimer is going to get the starting job for the first few games in the very least and his demeanor suggests that he is mentally prepared to take on the challenge. Optimus Reim is definitely worth a late round flier with the potential to be a number two fantasy goalie.

Look for Maple Leaf goalie James Reimer to don a new mask in 2011-12. It will likely be painted with a Transformers look to it to match his nickname of Optimus Reim. For those of you who believe Reimer was just a flash in the pan last season, we say reconsider. We believe he is one of the better young netminders in the NHL.