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James van Riemsdyk

Columbus Blue Jackets Sign James Van Riemsdyk

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4:56 PM: The Blue Jackets made the deal official according to a team announcement. Waddell said, “James van Riemsdyk has been a very consistent, productive player throughout his career and bringing him to Columbus will not only provide depth to our group up front, but also valuable leadership and another veteran presence in our dressing room“.

3:34 PM: TSN’s Chris Johnston is reporting the Columbus Blue Jackets have signed UFA forward James van Riemsdyk. A few moments later, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported that it would be a one-year, $900K contract for van Riemsdyk in Columbus.

The veteran sniper will join the fourth team of his career as the Blue Jackets inch closer to the salary cap floor. It was reported only yesterday that Columbus would be looking to add up front after moving on from Patrik Laine this summer and the tragic loss of winger Johnny Gaudreau at the end of last month. Forward Justin Danforth is not expected to be ready for the start of the regular season due to a wrist injury that knocks the Blue Jackets down to 10 healthy forwards. Putting together a complete lineup is more forward in the mind of general manager Don Waddell, as there isn’t an expectation the team will be penalized for starting the year under the salary cap floor.

JVR is no longer the offensive threat he used to be with the Philadelphia Flyers and Toronto Maple Leafs but should reasonably add some punch to the middle-six of Columbus’ forward core. He’s coming off a one-year deal with the Boston Bruins in which he scored 11 goals and 38 points in 71 games while also skating in his 1000th NHL contest. Most of his points in Boston came in the first half of the season, with seven goals and 29 points through the first 41 games. He only managed four goals and nine points in the last 30 games without having a major decline in ATOI.

Columbus can reasonably expect 30 to 35 points from JVR this year but his real value may come through his leadership skills. He made it to the Stanley Cup Final in his rookie campaign with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2009-10 with seven more appearances in the postseason since. He’s scored over 300 goals at the NHL level and could be a tremendous teacher to the number of young guns on the Blue Jackets’ roster.

He may become a buy-low trade candidate this season for contending teams looking to add scoring in their bottom six. The Blue Jackets are not expected to compete, and van Riemsdyk’s $900K salary will be more than affordable for interested parties. The now second-oldest player in Columbus will have to take advantage of the first half of the year if he hopes to compete for a Stanley Cup by the end of next season.

James Van Riemsdyk Expected To Settle For PTO

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With just one week to go until most teams open their training camps, veteran James van Riemsdyk is expected to settle for a professional tryout before attempting to land a guaranteed contract for 2024-25, Chris Johnston of The Athletic and TSN reports.

JVR may not have cracked our list of Top 50 Unrestricted Free Agents this offseason, but he is the cream of the crop still left without a contract. The 35-year-old led all unsigned UFAs in points per game last season with 0.54, posting 11 goals and 38 points in 71 games during his lone year as a Bruin.

He averaged a relatively meager 13:30 per game, and expecting him to repeat that level of production in a middle-six role is a relatively safe bet. He shot 7.7% last year, over four points under his career average, and regression back to the mean there should help negate any age-related decline that may be in store.

Multiple teams are still showing interest in van Riemsdyk’s services, per Johnston, but it appears all of them want to see how JVR does on a camp tryout before offering him a one-way deal. The New Jersey native is entering his 16th NHL season, amassing 311 goals, 318 assists and 629 points in 1,011 career games with the Bruins, Flyers, and Maple Leafs.

He’s hit the 20-goal mark seven times in his career, although he’s done so just once since 2020. He’s stayed relatively healthy, only missing 11 games last season and playing in all 82 three years ago with Philadelphia.

Free Agent Profile: James Van Riemsdyk

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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, winger Daniel 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, namely Ryan 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 from Joe 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 of Patrice Bergeron and David 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 netminder Jeremy 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-rounder Fabian Lysell doesn’t crack the roster out of camp. They’ve replenished some offensive depth by signing Max Jones and acquiring Mark Kastelic from the Senators in last month’s Linus Ullmark trade, 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 Bertuzzi departed for the Blackhawks in free agency last summer, and much like he would in Boston, van Riemsdyk could provide veteran insurance in case top prospects Easton Cowan and Fraser 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 forwards Connor Dewar and Nicholas 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.

Penguins Options To Play On Sidney Crosby’s Line

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The Pittsburgh Penguins reportedly took a swing at acquiring veteran free agent winger Vladimir Tarasenko to play in their top-six forward group alongside Sidney Crosby but lost out on his services to the Detroit Red Wings. Tarasenko signed a two-year $9.5MM deal with the Red Wings and the Penguins’ interest indicates that they aren’t satisfied with their top two lines as they head into what is likely to be a transitional season for the franchise. The Penguins have Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, and Michael Bunting returning next season and finished last season with youngster Drew O’Connor replacing Jake Guentzel on the top line as Crosby’s left winger.

O’Connor played well for the Penguins, but he would be better served as a third liner in an ideal world. But given the Penguins’ lack of cap space, and apparent eye towards the future, none of their options will be ideal, but they do have some options when it comes to Crosby’s left winger next season.

Trade Options

Nikolaj Ehlers: Ehlers hasn’t been given an opportunity to be a top-line player with the Winnipeg Jets despite being one of their most effective players. He is the type of player that has thrived with Crosby historically, as he has high-end skill, is a high-level thinker, and is very deceptive and skilled at finding open space. The issue with Ehlers is that he is a year from free agency and the price tag to acquire him will be far too high for the Penguins’ taste given their apparent pivot to acquiring draft picks and younger players.  Murat Ates of The Athletic reported a few weeks ago that Ehlers isn’t likely to extend in Winnipeg but given his age and recent injury history, it’s hard to imagine the Penguins acquiring and extending him long-term.

Patrik Laine: The 26-year-old has fallen on hard times in recent years with the Columbus Blue Jackets but remains an intriguing option on the trade market. Laine is a former second-overall pick who has dealt with injuries in recent seasons but can still score when he is healthy. The Tampere, Finland native was a point-a-game player from 2021-23 but had just nine points in 18 games last season. While the drop in offensive production is alarming, Laine averaged almost four minutes less per game in ice time and wasn’t playing with a skilled center. That being said, his injury issues are a concern and could reduce the cost of acquiring him from Columbus. Laine is a liability defensively and doesn’t necessarily compete on every shift, however, if he were to play on the Penguins’ top line, he would be the best pure goal scorer that Crosby has ever played with.

Unrestricted Free Agent Options

Max Pacioretty: The 35-year-old Pacioretty is well removed from his days as a perennial 30-goal scorer as injuries and the aging curve have slowed down his production. Last year he dressed in 47 games tallying four goals and 19 assists while registering a -14. Pacioretty’s offensive numbers don’t look terrible at first glance, however, nearly half his points came on the power play as he tallied just two goals and 10 assists at even strength. Pacioretty won’t be expensive to sign on a one-year deal, but he hasn’t played more than 47 games in three seasons and his body likely wouldn’t be able to withstand the stress of playing almost 20 minutes a night next to Crosby.

James van Riemsdyk: van Riemsdyk is another former 30-goal scorer on the wrong side of 35 but is coming off a decent offensive season with the Boston Bruins. The Middletown, New Jersey native posted 11 goals and 27 assists last season in 71 games and wasn’t a burden on his teammates. The former second overall pick doesn’t have the pace to play in the top six anymore and would likely be a non-factor in transition which would be a big problem playing with Crosby. JVR could work on the Penguins’ power play and would give the team a net-front presence that they’ve lacked since trading Patric Hornqvist in 2020, however, he might not be physical enough at this point to be effective in the role. At this stage of his career, van Riemsdyk is best served as a fourth-line winger, something the Penguins have more than enough of.

Internal Options

Drew O’Connor: is coming off a career year in which he posted 16 goals and 17 assists in 79 games (all career highs). While those numbers aren’t earth-shattering, they are a remarkable improvement on his previous career year in 2022-23 when he posted just five goals and six assists in 46 games. O’Connor is not a pure offensive player and doesn’t possess strong passing skills or a great, however, he is fast and physical and plays a smart game. All traits they were possessed by one of Crosby’s former long-time wingers Chris Kunitz. O’Connor might be the easiest option for Pittsburgh to slide in alongside Crosby and might be the one they have to use if they don’t facilitate another transaction.

Brayden Yager: Pittsburgh’s 2023 first-round pick (14th overall) is coming off an incredible season with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors in which he posted 35 goals and 60 assists in 57 games. He is likely a season or two away from being ready for the NHL, but the Penguins might opt to give him a nine-game audition to see what they have in the youngster. Yager is a sneaky good shooter and is excellent at taking passes in his shooting pocket, allowing him to fire off shots quickly and accurately. If he can show in training camp that he deserves a longer look he could play his way onto Crosby’s wing for at least a few games if not longer.

Crosby’s Next Winger

The Penguins had issues finding Crosby a linemate early in his career but eventually found a perfect match with Jake Guentzel. Now with Guentzel signed long-term in Tampa Bay, the Penguins are tasked with finding new linemates for Crosby in what will be the final stretch of his NHL career. While all of the options above present some downside, the Penguins are unlikely to find another Guentzel-like player and will need to make some type of concession heading into next season while keeping an eye on the future.

Injury Notes: Avalanche, Bruins, Marino

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The Avalanche will again be without forwards Artturi Lehkonen and Zach Parise against the Canucks on Wednesday, head coach Jared Bednar said on 92.5 FM Altitude Sports Radio (via Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now). Bednar did not rule either player out for the following contest, a Saturday game in Edmonton, although he did not confirm either would be ready to return by then either.

Without two players who have spent extended time in Colorado’s top six, recent trade pickup Brandon Duhaime will continue to get a tryout on their new-look second line alongside Jonathan Drouin and Casey Mittelstadt in Vancouver. The 26-year-old grinder has averaged only 10:40 per game this season across 64 games with the Avalanche and Wild, recording four goals and nine points.

Lehkonen, 28, is listed as day to day with an illness and will miss his second straight game after sitting out Tuesday’s 6-2 drubbing of the Flames. That, plus a neck injury, has limited him to 30 games on the season, although that hasn’t stopped him from putting together another strong campaign with 22 points and a +7 rating while averaging 18:54 per game.

The 39-year-old Parise has been a solid free-agent pickup for the Avs since signing in late January. He has four goals and seven points through 15 games while logging 14:14 a night. He hasn’t played since sustaining a lower-body injury against the Red Wings a week ago and will miss his third straight game.

Other updates from around the league:

Bruins Recall Jesper Boqvist, Assign Georgii Merkulov To AHL

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With there being a bit of uncertainty with Boston’s lineup for tonight, the Bruins have opted to make a recall up front, announcing that winger Jesper Boqvist has been recalled from Providence.  To bring Mason Lohrei back up after being papered down yesterday, Georgii Merkulov was assigned to Providence as well.

The 25-year-old had 21 points in 70 games with New Jersey last season but was non-tendered back in June, making him an unrestricted free agent.  Boqvist eventually settled for a one-year, one-way contract worth the minimum salary of $775K a couple of weeks later with the hopes that he could lock down a full-time spot on Boston’s fourth line.

That hasn’t gone completely as planned as instead of securing a full-time spot, he cleared waivers at the end of training camp and has spent most of the season in the minors.  Boqvist has done well down there, picking up 10 goals and 13 assists in 31 games with Providence while also making a pair of appearances with Boston.

As for Merkulov, he played in four games with Boston while on recall, being held off the scoresheet while averaging 10:35 per night.  The 23-year-old has been quite productive with Providence, however, notching 14 goals and 16 assists in 31 games and should go right back to being in a top role for them.

As Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic notes (Twitter link), winger James van Riemsdyk is day-to-day so it would appear Boqvist’s recall is to help cover against that.  Lohrei could also take his place in the lineup if they want to go with seven blueliners while Matthew Poitras is also available after returning from his stint at the World Juniors.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Boston Bruins

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As Thanksgiving and the holiday season approaches, PHR will be taking a look at what teams are thankful for in 2023-24. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Boston Bruins.

Who are the Bruins thankful for?

Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark

Boston’s goaltending wasn’t just great last season, it was historically great. And with the litany of NHL all-stars that departed Boston this summer, many pundits figured that the Bruins’ historical 65-win season would be a distant memory as they struggled through this season. That has not been the case, in fact, the Bruins aren’t just as good as last year. Thus far this season, they are actually better. Last season at this time Boston was sporting an incredible .823 points percentage, but this year they are sitting at an unfathomable .861.

Sure, they still have some of the pieces from their strong core kicking around, but the real reasons they are historically good once again this season are Swayman and Ullmark.

Swayman and Ullmark have split goaltending duties almost directly down the middle this season with incredibly close comparables. Swayman is currently sporting a record of 7-0-2 with a 2.09 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage. Ullmark on the other hand is 7-1-1 with a 2.10 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage.

To find a discrepancy between the two netminders it requires a deep dive into the numbers. According to Money Puck, Swayman has saved one full goal more when you look at both goaltenders’ goals saved above expected. Swayman has posted a 7.6 goals saved above expected while Ullmark has posted 6.6. The calculation by Money Puck is done by taking the goals that a goalie is expected to allow and then subtracting the actual number of goals the goalie has let in. Both Ullmark and Swayman are well above average in this category and every other goaltending metric.

There was talk in the summer that maybe the Bruins would like to move on from Ullmark, but it is hard to fathom Boston breaking up such an incredible duo. Goaltending is a notoriously difficult position to project and it’s rare for teams to get one goalie playing as well as Swayman or Ullmark, and having two is unheard of.

What are the Bruins thankful for?

Surprising play from their top centers.

When Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci announced their retirements in August, many thought that it could be curtains for the Bruins time atop the NHL standings. But, from the moment the puck dropped to start the NHL season they have received quality work from their top two centers Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle.

Zacha’s year didn’t start out great as he had just a single assist in the first five games of the season, but since that time he has posted seven goals and six assists in his past 13 games. On top of finding his offensive game, Zacha is averaging almost three and a half minutes more ice time per game than his career average and is finding far more success in the faceoff circle winning draws at a rate that is almost five percent higher than last season.

Coyle on the other hand is on pace for a career season and has fit the role of a top-6 center perfectly. At the moment the 31-year-old is on pace for 32 goals and 41 assists should he dress in all 82 games. Now a lot would have to go right for Coyle to hit those numbers, but the odds are pretty good that he will top the career-high 56 points he put up in the 2016-17 season. Coyle isn’t just doing good work on the offensive side of the game; he has also been a huge part of Boston’s penalty kill and has been dominant in the face-off circle.

What would the Bruins be even more thankful for?

More scoring from the backend

It’s hard to be wishing for more when your team is 14-1-3 to start the season. But if the Bruins were looking for a little something extra it would be more scoring from their defense core. So far this season, Bruins defensemen have accounted for just seven goals and 28 assists. Now, those numbers aren’t horrible, and they certainly don’t paint a fair picture of all their defensemen’s contributions. But the collective 35 points from the Bruins defense core barely tops the 31 points that Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes has put up on his own this season.

Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery has said in press conferences that he would like to see the Bruins’ defensemen adopt more of a shot-first mentality and he would especially like to see his rearguards be in shot-ready mode at any time.

There is merit to what Montgomery is preaching. The Bruins have a ton of big forwards who can drive to the net and get sticks on pucks, or at the very least cause disruption and perhaps create a seam for a seeing-eye shot from a defenseman to find its way into the back of the net.

The Bruins could certainly look to conference foe the Carolina Hurricanes to see how an active defense core can score a lot of goals from the point just by simply being selfish and shot-happy when the shooting lanes open.

What should be on the Bruins holiday wish list?

A top-6 forward.

To be fair, the Bruins really don’t have any needs at the moment. And if there is anything that can be taken away from last year’s playoff collapse it is that often it doesn’t payoff to go all in.

The Bruins don’t have many trade chips to bolster their lineup at this year’s trade deadline, but that doesn’t mean they won’t. If they were to decide to make an impact move at the trade deadline, acquiring a top-6 forward must be top of mind for general manager Don Sweeney.

The Bruins current top-6 is formidable, but it is hard to imagine a team with Stanley Cup aspirations feeling overly comfortable with 34-year-old James van Riemsdyk eating up big minutes come playoff time. That’s no slight on van Riemsdyk, who has been terrific this year, but the reality is that he would be better suited to dress on the team’s third line with Matthew Poitras and Jake DeBrusk

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Examining A Pivotal Offseason For The Boston Bruins

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Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub wrote a piece today going over his thoughts on the offseason that was for the Boston Bruins. Anderson writes that while the offseason losses were a challenge for the team, he believes the club can still contend for a division title, and at the very least make the playoffs in the Atlantic Division.

While Anderson offers up many reasons for optimism, he does believe that if the Bruins were to falter, they should look to move on from the eight unrestricted free agents that the Bruins will be dressing on opening night and try to acquire assets for them rather than throwing assets after band-aid solutions. Boston does have an extensive list of unrestricted free agents at the end of this year including Jake DeBrusk, James van Riemsdyk, Milan Lucic, A.J. Greer, Matt Grzelcyk, Derek Forbort, Kevin Shattenkirk, and Jakub Zboril. Moving on from these players would help facilitate a re-tool should the Bruins opt to go down that path.

There is a belief with Anderson and others that the Bruins could be buyers in the summer of 2024 when the cap goes up and the bonuses come off Boston’s cap. An added bonus to selling at the deadline would be that any assets acquired at the deadline could help the team make moves next summer when they have cap space to play with. Now, while it seems silly to be looking at trade deadline moves when the season hasn’t even started, it is an interesting idea for the Bruins for the reasons mentioned above.

One final note, and this could be a big one, is that Boston’s first-round pick this season was dealt in the Tyler Bertuzzi trade. The pick is top-10 protected and if Boston were to fall down the standings, they could grab a top-10 pick this year in a re-tooling year and give Detroit their 2025 pick when they presumably have re-stocked the NHL roster. The risk there of course is that they falter again in 2025 and hand the Red Wings a top-10 pick, but that seems unlikely given that the team will still have some solid pieces in place and possibly some reinforcements to join them.

Boston Bruins Sign James Van Riemsdyk

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The Boston Bruins are signing forward James van Riemsdyk to a one-year, $1MM deal, per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli.

The Bruins are looking to add some talent to their forward corps at affordable prices, and securing Van Riemsdyk at a $1MM cost accomplishes exactly that. The 34-year-old is a seven-time 20-goal scorer who has hit 30 goals multiple times earlier in his career. He has notably slowed down in recent seasons, though, and only scored 12 goals and 29 points in 61 games.

That decline in production is what allows Boston to secure his services at such a cheap price, though, and in doing so they’re placing a bet that he can return to something closer to his 2021-22 production, when he scored 24 goals and 38 points. Van Riemsdyk has long been among the most talented net-front scorers in the NHL, and he’ll boost the Bruins’ efforts to crowd the front of the net and tip pucks in.

He might not bring the type of energy or scoring ability of younger talent like Tyler Bertuzzi, but he comes at a far cheaper price and brings a wealth of experience younger players can’t offer.

With Boston looking to have another strong regular season and go on a longer playoff run, this addition of van Riemsdyk is a solid bit of shopping by the Bruins front office, assuming the player can stay healthy and perform up to his career standard.

Metropolitan Notes: Flyers, Merzlikins, McCarthy

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Philadelphia Flyers players met with the media today as they cleared out their lockers following a disappointing season. Giana Han of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Kevin Hayes described the season as a weird one, and he sure sounds like he expects it to be his last in Philly. The 31-year-old center has three years remaining on his contract with a cap hit just above $7MM per season, but he believes the organization turned the page on him midseason. Hayes was leading the team in scoring early in the year and was named to the All-Star Game. However, his role was reduced following his All-Star appearance as younger players were given bigger roles with the team struggling. Hayes mentioned he believes he will learn his fate around the NHL Draft, implying he thinks a trade could be on the horizon.

Also in Philly, Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic reports winger James van Riemsdyk was disappointed he did not get traded at the deadline, as he was left to play out the final year of his contract on a rebuilding Flyers roster. Then-General Manager Chuck Fletcher stated shortly after the trade deadline that there was no interest at all in JVR, but the Flyers skater seems to believe that is not entirely true and was frustrated that the team would not send him to a contending team, even for a small return in a trade.

  • Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports goaltender Elvis Merzlikins of the Columbus Blue Jackets will not play in the upcoming World Championships. This is of note since one of the host cities, Riga, Latvia is also the hometown of Merzlikins. The 29-year-old goaltender claims his focus remains completely on becoming a number one goaltender in the NHL, something he fell well short of this season. He posted a 4.23 GAA and a .876 SV% in 30 games for the Blue Jackets. That is a far cry from what his contract dictates he should be doing. Merzlikins has four more years remaining on a contract that carries a $5.4MM cap hit.
  • Mark Divver of NHL.com reports Boston University may be keeping one of its key defensemen for another season. Case McCarthy, a fourth-round draft pick of the New Jersey Devils in 2019 has already played four seasons at BU but is leaning toward returning for one more. He played a top-four role this season, skating alongside freshman phenom Lane Hutson on most nights and providing a two-way role for BU. He had 15 points in 35 games and would step right back into that top pairing role with Hutson if he returns next season.

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