New York Rangers should consider signing James van Riemsdyk
The NHL draft is over which means that next stop is free agency. The New York Rangers should look to former Toronto Maple Leafs forward James Van Riemsdyk for help on the offensive side of things.
The New York Rangers have started to replenish their farm system by adding a barrage of talent during the draft. However, it doesn’t look like any of the draftees are ready to jump into the line up next year. While, yes, the Rangers are rebuilding, they have the capability to be better than a bottom of the barrel team. This is why bringing James van Riemsdyk in could solve some of the team’s problems.
I expect that both unrestricted free agent forwards (Cody McLeod and Paul Carey) will walk as of July 1. Additionally, it is not yet known if all four restricted free agents will be re-signed for next season. This should leave a roster spot and cap space to sign van Riemsdyk.
What He Brings to the Table
James van Riemsdyk is a 29 year old left winger who has played in the NHL for nine full seasons now. The majority of his points come from his goal totals and he tends to score close to 30 per year. He also tends to score around 60 total points per year, and brings a knack for goal scoring the Rangers sorely need.
The Rangers do not currently have a pure goal scorer on their roster, and haven’t for quite some time. While van Riemsdyk is not an Alex Ovechkin or a Steven Stamkos, he is more of a goal scorer than anyone currently on the roster. He doesn’t score the prettiest goals, but he puts pucks in the back of the net. While there are some players currently in the system who can develop into snipers, Van Riemsdyk provides an answer for the here and now.
Van Riemsdyk also offers a veteran presence. Most of the veteran presence the Rangers have employed over the years has come at the expense of skill. Luckily, van Riemsdyk is coming off of a career year in goals where he had 36, plus his 18 assists for 54 points in 81 games.
He has prior playoff experience where he made it to the Stanley Cup Final with the Philadelphia Flyers, and even some more recent experience with the Maple Leafs. Most importantly, he has experience mentoring the massive influx of rookies in the Leaf’s line up, making him perfect for the influx of rookies the Rangers are expecting.
The Cost
One con of signing James van Riemsdyk is that his recent play is demanding a raise. Currently, he is making $4.25 million per year, and has for the past six seasons. After a 54 point performance this year and 62 points last year, his play commands at least $5 million per year. Luckily, should the Rangers choose to go this route, they have the cap space. Currently, the Rangers have just over $29 million in cap space. Even if they spend $20 million on upcoming RFAs and UFAs, they have $9 million to spend on van Riemsdyk (which is substantially more than they would.)
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All in all, signing James van Riemsdyk could seriously benefit the Rangers. So long as they manage their free agents properly, they could sign their most important players and van Riemsdyk without causing a mess cap wise. Plus, a player like him would make the rebuild sting a little less.