The free agent market has moved at breakneck speed this offseason. Only two of PHR’s Top 50 UFAs have yet to sign, and only one, wingerDaniel Sprong, is expected to play next season.Even beyond the big names, many non-tendered RFAs and cheap veteran names are beginning to find homes, namelyRyan Suter,as he continues his career-long tour of the Central Division. That indicates the market for low-cost names with loads of experience is increasing as teams circle back to make the finishing touches to their rosters in the second wave of free agency.
Offensively, one of those names to watch is James van Riemsdyk, a seven-time 20-goal scorer with an 11.8% shooting percentage across 15 NHL seasons and 1,011 games. He missed our Top 50 cutoff by a few spots, but aside fromJoe Pavelski, who hasn’t officially retired yet but is expected to do so, he’s got the most established offensive track record of anyone still available.
For the first 12 years of his career, van Riemsdyk was a bonafide top-six winger and efficient scorer, averaging 0.66 points per game while routinely averaging north of 16 minutes per game. But age caught up to him three years into a five-year, $35MM contract with the Flyers, seeing his production drop to 36 goals, 67 points and a -36 rating in 143 games during his 2021-22 and 2022-23 campaigns in Philadelphia – less than a half a point per game. That was tough for the Flyers to stomach at his $7MM cap hit, especially considering they’d drafted him second overall in 2007 but missed out on his prime, most of which was spent with the Maple Leafs after they shipped him to Toronto for Luke Schenn in the 2012 offseason in what turned out to be one of the more lopsided deals of the decade.
Following his quiet end to his tenure in Philly, JVR landed on a cheap one-year, $1MM deal with the Bruins when free agency opened last summer. For the first time in a few seasons, he produced well over his contract value, serving as a valuable depth scorer for a Bruins offense that entered the campaign with many question marks after the retirements ofPatrice BergeronandDavid Krejčí. His numbers were roughly in line with what he’d done with the Flyers the last few years, scoring 11 goals and 38 points in 71 games, but he did so more efficiently, averaging reduced minutes (13:30 ATOI) compared to his middle-six usage with Philadelphia.
He also managed 142 shots on goal, 23 more than he’d lobbed on the net in 2022-23. Those 11 goals were tied for a career low, but he also shot at a career-low 7.7%, suggesting there’s some rebound potential this year. After turning 35 in May, he’ll also be eligible to sign a contract with performance bonuses, allowing a team close to the salary cap’s $88MM upper limit to keep his initial cap hit low in case he doesn’t pan out.
In line with his solid box stats, van Riemsdyk’s possession quality metrics last season were some of the best of his career. Boston controlled a whopping 60.7% of expected goals with JVR on the ice at even strength. While he wasn’t particularly adept at controlling shot attempts outright, posting a 49.6 CF%, he wasn’t on for very many high-danger chances against, and his two-way play thrived in a Bruins system that actually allowed fewer total expected goals last year than in their record-breaking 135-point 2022-23 season.
With that in mind, JVR presents himself as an attractive candidate who could still likely crush 15 to 20 goals next season in a bottom-six scoring role. He’s likely to be a solid fallback option for interested parties in Sprong that don’t end up landing him.
Stats
2023-24:71 GP, 11 G, 27 A, 38 P, +7, 20 PIMs, 13:30 ATOI, 49.6 CF%
Career:1,011 GP, 311 G, 318 A, 629 P, -66, 394 PIMs, 16:11 ATOI, 50.2 CF%
Potential Suitors
van Riemsdyk hasn’t been firmly connected to any teams so far this summer. Given the suddenly shallow market for depth scoring, expect that to change as the weeks progress.
But in terms of speculative fits, it would be unwise to rule out a return to the Bruins. They have $8.64MM in projected cap space for next season remaining, per PuckPedia. Most of that will go toward a new deal for RFA netminderJeremy Swayman. But as we’ve seen in recent days with Suter, JVR could be amenable to returning on a performance-bonus-laden deal with a league minimum $775K cap hit. It’s a type of contract that Boston general manager Don Sweeney is no stranger to signing as well, executing similar deals with Bergeron and Krejčí in the twilight of their careers to help keep their short-term financial situation as manageable as possible.
There’s still a need for another scoring-oriented winger in the Bruins’ bottom six, especially as an insurance policy in case 2021 first-rounderFabian Lyselldoesn’t crack the roster out of camp. They’ve replenished some offensive depth by signing Max Jones and acquiringMark Kastelicfrom the Senators in last month’sLinus Ullmarktrade, but both are checking forwards first and foremost with limited upside on the scoresheet.
JVR could also find a place to play in 2023-24 by returning to a former club in free agency for the second time in his career. A reunion with the Leafs, who haven’t made any notable additions at forward this summer, could make sense. Their left-wing depth took a hit when Tyler Bertuzzideparted for the Blackhawks in free agency last summer, and much like he would in Boston, van Riemsdyk could provide veteran insurance in case top prospectsEaston CowanandFraser Minten, both of whom are expected to challenge for opening night roster spots, don’t make the team. It would be a difficult squeeze with just $955K in cap space remaining and new deals needed for depth RFA forwardsConnor DewarandNicholas Robertson, although the latter has reportedly requested a trade.
Both would be decent playoff contenders for van Riemsdyk to join as he chases a Stanley Cup. Without a ring to his name, it’s likely he’ll be willing to sacrifice some cash on his next deal rather than take an above-market-value paycheck to offer veteran leadership to a rebuilder.
Projected Contract
As mentioned earlier, JVR’s deal will likely come across the finish line with a $775K cap hit since he’s now eligible for a 35+ contract. But there is a good amount of uncertainty about how much his performance bonuses could total. After last year’s solid showing, he’s likely in line for an overall pay bump over his previous $1MM salary, even if only a portion is guaranteed. Evolving Hockey pegged JVR to land a one-year, $1.5MM deal as a UFA this summer, a figure that still makes sense when including potential performance bonuses.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.