Can James Reimer solve Ottawa Senators’ goaltending woes?

James Reimer is riding in to help rescue the Ottawa Senators.

That’s a little much to expect from a guy who hasn’t played in the National Hockey League this season, but the Senators confirmed on Friday that he has signed a professional tryout with the club’s American Hockey League affiliate in Belleville.

You have to think that Reimer, 37, will need some time to get tuned up with Belleville before making his debut with Ottawa.

The Senators trudged home from Denver on Friday after a disgraceful 8-2 loss to the Avalanche on Thursday night and there will be no rest for the weary as they prepare to face the Florida Panthers on Saturday night at the Canadian Tire Centre.

Nobody knows when we’re going to see goalie Linus Ullmark return to the club’s net from his leave of absence and, until then, the Senators need to find a way to get some saves, which is why they signed Reimer.

He currently is with the club’s American Hockey League affiliate in Belleville, but is expected to sign an NHL deal in the coming days. Reimer hasn’t played since last season, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

The Senators have the NHL’s worst save percentage at .873.

Leevi Merilainen was pulled in the club’s 8-2 loss to the Avalanche, but ended up having to finish the game because Mads Sogaard didn’t return for the third period.

The 23-year-old Merilainen is on a one-way deal that pays him $1.05 million US and has struggled to find his game. Merilainen has a .857 save percentage and a 3.50 goals-against average in 16 games this season.

Reimer, who played for Team Canada at the Spengler Cup in Switzerland over the holidays, suited up for 24 games with the Anaheim Ducks and Buffalo Sabres last season.

He finished with a 10-10-2 record with a 3.04 GAA and a .896 save percentage with the Ducks and Sabres. Reimer attended the Toronto Maple Leafs training camp on a professional tryout, but wasn’t offered a deal.

Reimer has played 525 games in his NHL career with the Leafs, Panthers, Sharks, Hurricanes, Wings, Ducks and Sabres. He has a 225-187-65 record in his career with a 2.89 GAA and a .910 save percentage.

The only hope for the Senators is that they’ve hit rock bottom.

Can it get any worse?

After spending the day trying to quash talk on the social media site X about Ullmark’s leave of absence, the Senators had their worst effort in recent memory after surrendering six goals in the second period.

While the debate will continue as to whether Steve Staios, the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager, should have released that statement about Ullmark before the game, the Senators wanted to make it clear that they back their players.

“Our organization was extremely disappointed to read the completely fabricated and false stories that are spreading around social media about our hockey club,” Staios said an hour before the puck was dropped.

“Linus is away from our team for personal reasons and he has the entire organization’s support. We ask that people respect his privacy, but clearly that request was not heard by the lowest forms of trolls and sick people who scour the Internet.

“We are disgusted that outside forces are attempting to disrupt our hockey club. This statement will put an end to the ridiculous speculation that has spread online.”

The organization felt like it wasn’t left with any other choice than to say something.

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TIME TO MOVE ON

The loss was an ugly end to an ugly day for the Senators.

There is no question that this season is at a crossroads for the Senators. They woke up on Thursday sitting five points out of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 39 games left in the season.

This has the chance to go one of two ways: The Senators can have a run of success before the National Hockey League’s break for the 2026 Winter Olympics next month, or they can continue to fall apart at the seams.

Let’s not make this situation worse than it actually appears. The Senators still have time to play to their capabilities and get this season back on track to make the playoffs for the second straight spring.

The Panthers are a huge Atlantic Division rival and one of the clubs that the Senators are chasing in the standings. Captain Brady Tkachuk could face off against his brother, Matthew, in his return from surgery that has kept him out all season.

Time is of the essence. The clock is ticking and the season is slipping away for the Senators. January is the club’s busiest month, and they’ve got to take advantage of a heavy home schedule.

bgarrioch@postmedia.com