Trading Van Riemsdyk Is an Easy Answer to a Problem that Doesn’t Exist
By James Tanner
The Toronto Maple Leafs are in a tough spot with James Van Riemsdyk.
On one hand, Van Riemsdyk is a valuable trade asset that could be used to turn solidify the defense. On the other, he’s one of their best players and they should see themselves as contenders already.
Keep Him
The Leafs are a team with a lot of young, elite-level, talent. To win in the NHL, you must augment youth with players of all ages. The Leafs accomplish this by having JVR, Kadri, Bozak and Gardiner – all above average players in their primes. Trading JVR is dealing a strength to fill a weakness, but that strength is part of what makes the Leafs so good. And they are good enough to compete this year and next, before Van Riemsdyk is a UFA.
Trade Him
If the Leafs trade Van Riemsdyk, he can be replaced on the roster by players like Kapenan or Leipsic. The Leafs have a lot of scoring, and JVR essentially only has one skill – scoring. Therefore, the thing he can do the best can easily be shored up, and he won’t be missed.
Keep Him
James Van Riemsdyk is scoring at an elite level 5v5 and won’t be as easy to replace as you think. The idea that Leipsic or Kapanen can step in is a joke. JVR is top-ten in both 5v5 goals and points.
Trade Him
The Leafs have blown a ridiculous amount of third period leads, they don’t have a good defense group and they seem like they have to score five goals most nights to win.
If they have can improve defensively, the difference between JVR’s scoring and whoever replaces him won’t matter.
Keep Him
The Depth of the Toronto Maple Leafs attack is what makes them so good. Without JVR, it’s just not as good. The ability to throw an elite attacker out on your second or third line can’t (especially a line that also has Marner) is crazy. Take away JVR and give the Leafs an elite #1 D and I’m not sure they’re a better team – the dynamics of the Toronto offense are not being properly considered here.
Trade Him
He’s an unrestricted free agent after next season. You might as well get something for him now, when his value will be the highest. Whoever gets him will get two playoff seasons out of him, so clearly his value is higher today than it will be in the summer.
You can’t resign him because a) he will be in decline shortly after his next contract starts and so he won’t be worth the $6 million over six years that he gets and b) You can’t afford him because Marner, Matthews, Brown, Nylander, Carrick etc. will all need big fat contracts in the future.
Keep Him
Taylor Hall only brought back Adam Larsson. JVR won’t bring back a package that makes it worth trading him. The exact reason he is so good this season is because teams can’t defend against teams that put first-liners on the ice at nearly all times. If the Leafs lose this for a slight upgrade at defense, they won’t be as good as a team.
The blown leads are partly bad luck. When Andersen is good, the defense is good. There are better odds that a player on the roster today develops into a star defenseman than there are that the Leafs could get a legit #1 for JVR.
Van Riemsdyk gives the Leafs the best chance to win the Cup in the next two years. If they are successful and end up losing him for nothing, then who cares? The risk/reward math says keep him, don’t play it safe.
The odds are you don’t win a Stanley Cup anyways, but playing it safe when 29 of 30 teams are losers every year anyways doesn’t make sense.
Trade Him
It’s a no brainer to trade a player you can’t resign, who plays a position you’re strong in, in a year when you won’t win the Cup anyways. The Toronto Maple Leafs must trade James Van Riemsdyk.
Keep Him
The Leafs would be better off trading futures to a team that needs them in exchange for a player they need to move, much in the way the Leafs previously needed to move Kessel or Phaneuf.
The Leafs won’t have a better time to compete than the next three seasons. They should keep JVR and address their weaknesses by using their first-round pick, Leipsic, Kapanen and Reichel.
It’s not even out of the question that they cold resign Van Riemsdyk to a short-term deal if he feels like he can win in Toronto.
C’est Un Conclusion
Personally, I can see both sides, but I remain of the belief that JVR should be untouchable. I believe that the history of trading wingers for defenseman is so bad, that you might as well keep him .
If someone wants to blow them away and offer Hampus Lindholm, then by all means, make the trade. But the realistic return for JVR just doesn’t make sense for this team at this time. The dynamic ability of the Leafs offense is what makes them a team that is way, way better than anyone seemingly wants to admit.
The few parts the Leafs are in need of to be true competitors won’t cost a JVR – if the team is smart and goes after players who are undervalued, as opposed to trying to make a big-name splash, they’ll end up much farther ahead.
Trading James Van Riemsdyk is an easy answer and a quick fix for a problem that doesn’t even exist. The Leafs blew a lot of leads – but that just doesn’t happen in the NHL and they do have an above average defense core anyways. Carrick and Gardiner are statistically amazing. Rielly and Zaitsev score enough, are young enough, that you’d hate to demote either of them. All the Leafs’ D needs is more time to develop.
The only problem the Leafs have is a bad fourth line and a bad bottom-pairing. Improve those, keep JVR and try to win the Cup.
The smart thing to do is to copy the Blackhawks and win while you’re guys are young and then re-group for another run at a later date. IN short: the Leafs need to put all their eggs in the ECL basket, and worry about the future in the future. Keep Van Riemsdyk.