NHL analyst calls on Toronto Maple Leafs to sign former 2nd overall pick

PUBLICATION

Graham Montgomery
September 4, 2024 (10:12 PM)

SHARE THIS STORY

Former Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Frankie Corrado revealed recently that he believes Brad Treliving should make an effort to bring James Van Riemsdyk back to Toronto.

Of course, James Van Riemsdyk, better known as JVR, played 413 regular-season gams for the Leafs between 2012 and 2018. During that time he became a fan favorite, scoring 154 goals and 294 points. He then moved on to the Flyers where he had another successful run spanning eight seasons before joining the Boston Bruins on a one-year deal last season. Corrado believes that he would be a perfect fit for the 2024-25 Leafs.

"I like the name JVR. Not just because of the nostalgia because he was here, although that helps. I think for a guy that would be playing lower in the lineup, and probably on your second power-play unit, that makes sense to me. You talk about scoring, the power play always seems to dry up in the playoffs, and if you could find an extra goal you don't account for here and there over the course of a seven-game series that would help. I think JVR would be more inclined to do something like that."

BlueShirts Breakaway host Greg Kaplan pointed out how odd it is that Van Riemsdyk remains without a contract at this point in the summer. After all, training camps are right around the corner and the veteran forward not only played well last year, but his advanced analytics showed that he is coming off one of the best seasons of his career when you account for his deployment.

It is true that Van Riemsdyk is over 35 years old. As such, age will always be a concern. However, he does not have a long history of major injuries, and even appeared in 71 games last season for the Bruins where he put up 38 points despite averaging just 13:30 of ice time per game.

With that being said, there is some speculation as to why Van Riemsdyk remains unsigned. Many Bruins fans believe this is because the team is interested in bringing him back, but they just have to sign Jeremy Swayman first. Signing both players could be a problem for the team though die to their salary cap situation, so that could open the door for the Leafs to swoop in and grab him.

The Leafs seemingly always are in need of more depth scoring, and Van Riemsdyk has proven that he can put the puck in the back of the net at a good rate even with limited ice time. If Brad Treliving can grab him for league minimum, it may very well end up looking like one of his best moves this summer. Be sure to stay tuned to see if he decided to bring him back to Toronto.

Source: HockeyReference
James Van Riemsdyk career statistics