5 best fits for James van Riemsdyk in NHL free agency

3. Carolina Hurricanes

At the moment, the Carolina Hurricanes are one of the league’s toughest franchises to read.

Soon after it was announced that team legend Rod Brind’Amour would serve as the 14th commander-in-chief in the club’s history, TSN hockey insider Bob McKenzie reported that the Hurricanes were open to dealing any of their players — with the exception of star left winger Sebastian Aho. For some, this reflected a dawn of a new era — an attempt, that is, to declare the outset of winning ways from the very top of the organization. For others, the Hurricanes’ “open for business” mentality was worrisome — perhaps the right move at the wrong time.

Soon we’ll know if the Hurricanes’ newfound outlook is indeed a step forward. But as it stands, Carolina appears to be just a few pieces away from becoming a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

While the team’s goaltending situation still needs to be ironed out, the addition of van Riemsdyk would introduce some solid veteran presence to one of the league’s youngest franchises. That JVR is both a proven and consistent goal scorer in the regular season and the playoffs ought to render him a target on GM Don Waddell’s radar — especially if Brind’Amour’s recent comments are to be taken seriously. Speaking at a press conference, the new coach of the Hurricanes remarked:

"The bar has been set too low. When the bar is set low, it’s human nature that everyone goes to the bar. You have a few overachievers, but if the bar is just making the playoffs, guess what happens? You finish ninth or 10th. Everyone is kind of doing what you ask. I think we have the people in here who will accept that, and will want that."

Last summer it was Justin Williams. Expect Carolina, a club that still has adequate financial resources at hand, to make a similar move in the weeks to come.

After all, how cool would it be to see both of the van Riemsdyk brothers on the same roster?