James van Riemsdyk is a notable former Bruin who is still looking for a new home. Which teams could target him?
We are now in day four of free agency, and most of the big-name players who were available found their new homes. However, former Boston Bruins forward James van Riemsdyk is still available and one of the top free agents left. Given the fact he can still provide decent offensive production, that should change.
Let’s discuss three teams who consider taking a flier on JVR now.
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks have had an incredibly quiet start to the offseason. It is a bit surprising, as Anaheim was predicted to be pretty aggressive due to their plethora of cap space.
The Ducks would benefit by adding another veteran forward in their lineup, so van Riemsdyk could grab their attention. He would provide their middle six with a boost and also be a mentor for their younger players.
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers stand out as a team who could target van Riemsdyk. They officially lost Vladimir Tarasenko to the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday, and that has created a hole in their middle six. JVR could help fix that.
The Panthers do not have the most cap space to work with, so a bargain player like van Riemsdyk could intrigue them. In addition, van Riemsdyk has yet to lift the Stanley Cup in his long career. Due to this, it’s likely he wouldn’t be against joining the reigning the Stanley Cup champs if approached by them.
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche lost several bottom-six forwards this offseason and could look to add more depth to their roster before the start of the season because of it. Similar to Florida, the Avalanche will need to go for cheap players if they do want to bring in talent. van Riemsdyk could get their attention because of it.
The Avalanche also lost plenty of experience this offseason, as both Zach Parise and Andrew Cogliano retired. Every team needs veteran leadership, so perhaps JVR could make sense in Colorado on a cheap, one-year deal.
