James van Riemsdyk out of Maple Leafs lineup
Leafs lose forward James van Riemsdyk for possibly two months.
TSN Sportscentre’s tweeted out this morning that forward James van Riemsdyk of the Toronto Maple Leafs will be out for six to eight weeks with a fracture in his left foot.
UPDATE: @MapleLeafs announce F James van Riemsdyk out 6-8 weeks with a non-displaced fracture in his left foot. pic.twitter.com/OAncfH3x6j
— SportsCentre (@SportsCentre) January 11, 2016
The former second overall selection in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft was chosen by the Philadelphia Flyers. He scored 99 points in 196 regular season contests for the Flyers organization. He was later dealt to the Maple Leafs for defenseman Luke Schenn on June 23, 2012.
The acquisition of van Riemsdyk was a steal for the original six franchise. In 250 regular season games for the blue and white, he has put up 178 points. This season he has 29 points in 40 games.
This will be a significant loss for the Maple Leafs. van Riemsdyk was primarily used on the top line, as a constant scoring threat on a nightly basis.
In a follow-up tweet from Sportsnet Maple Leafs reporter Hugh Burrill, forward Josh Leivo has been called up to the big club from the American Hockey League Toronto Marlies organization.
#Leafs announce JVR out 6-8 weeks with a non displaced fracture in left foot. Recall Josh Leivo 11G, 19A in 35 games with Marlies.
— Hugh Burrill (@hughwburrill) January 11, 2016
Over the course of 16 games played with the big club, Leivo has only three points combined. With the Leafs minor league team, he has 30 points in 35 games this year.
Toronto fans and management should not expect Leivo to step into this lineup and score with the regularity that van Riemsdyk was able to produce on a nightly basis. Yes, granted he has 30 points in 35 games in the AHL, but it is not the National Hockey League.
This latest misfortune probably excites some fans as the Maple Leafs will likely slide in the standings and be in competition for obtaining the high draft pick this summer at the NHL Entry Draft. Auston Matthews, a natural center, is 18 years old and expected to take the league by storm next season. Toronto is only five points ahead of the league’s cellar-dweller franchise, the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The NHL trade deadline is February 29 and this latest turn of events are likely to trade upcoming free agents for draft picks. This situation almost guarantees that van Riemsdyk is not going anywhere and will play the remainder of this season as a forward for the Toronto Maple Leafs.