Toronto Maple Leafs left wing James van Riemsdyk will hit the NHL free agency market on July 1. Which team should he sign with?
The 2017-18 season was one of wide-ranging achievements for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Chief among the Buds’ accomplishments was the franchise milestone that the club set for regular season victories (49) — a charge led by Frederik Andersen, who posted a separate record for wins by a Leafs goaltender (38). Toronto was also the only NHL team to have three separate players bury 30 or more goals over the course of the past campaign. James van Riemsdyk recorded 36, Auston Matthews netted 34 and Nazem Kadri tallied 32 — a factor that was central to the Buds’ ability to run three separate scoring lines.
The question of JVR’s future is one that has long divided many a Maple Leafs fan. For some, he’s the epitome of a replaceable force — a timely goal scorer, yes, but a weak two-way player for whom a raise would reflect poor cap management. For others, van Riemsdyk’s overarching ability to put up admirable totals outweighs his defensive shortcomings — especially on a team that, at times, has lacked finesse on the left wing.
It’s only reasonable, therefore, for fans of the game to speculate on the future of the Maple Leafs’ talented, yet strangely polarizing net-front threat.
With the Stanley Cup playoffs on the verge of concluding and the 2018 NHL Entry Draft just around the corner, let’s look at five teams that van Riemsdyk ought to consider signing with.
5. Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs’ front office has already made some tough decisions about the team’s future.
Soon after reports circulated that the club’s former General Manager, Lou Lamoriello, was unlikely to work for the organization as a senior advisor, Brendan Shanahan — President and Alternate Governor of the franchise — promoted 31-year-old Kyle Dubas to serve as the 17th general manager in the club’s history. The move was long expected, but nevertheless resulted in some significant departures, as “Loophole Lou” and Assistant General Manager Mark Hunter bid adieu to the Buds.
Arguably the most pressing decision for the Maple Leafs’ young GM concerns the way in which he addresses van Riemsdyk’s future with the team. As a regular 20-30 goal scorer who is coming off one of the most productive seasons of his career, JVR has earned himself a pay raise that he’ll gather in a matter of weeks. And while the Maple Leafs can certainly afford to re-sign the veteran winger, fans and critics alike will undoubtedly question whether a move of this nature would be wise for an organization that’s looking to contend well into the future.
It’s tough to imagine a situation in which Dubas does not, at the very least, make van Riemsdyk an offer. He’s been one of the Buds’ best players ever since he was traded to the team and is quick to remind reporters of his love for the city. That said, the notion that JVR has priced himself out of Toronto through productive play is a reality that fans have continuously grappled with — particularly when considering the fact that Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and Kasperi Kapanen are due for extensions soon.
Regardless of what happens, van Riemsdyk will surely occupy a memorable spot in the ongoing narrative of the Maple Leafs’ history. Whether he’ll continue to make memories as a member of the blue and white, however, shall be a subject of contentious debate.