Toronto Maple Leafs: The Casualties of the Cap Crunch
James van Riemsdyk
The Toronto Maple Leafs added James van Riemsdyk in one of, if not Brian Burke’s best trade while at the helm of the team.
The Philadelphia Flyers had signed JVR to a six year extension with a cap hit of $4.25 Million which took up just 6.6% of the cap which was to start in the 2012-13 season. However, before he played a game under that deal, Burke acquired him straight up for Luke Schenn.
JVR would play all six years in a Maple Leafs uniform scoring 154 goals in 413 games which averaged out to 31-goals over an 82 game schedule. He was a consistent contributor and owned the front of the net on the powerplay contributing with 42 goals with the man advantage over his six seasons.
He was just as productive in the playoffs scoring seven goals and 14-points in 20 playoff games with the Maple Leafs crest on his chest.
Unfortunately, like Bozak the Maple Leafs had to let JVR walk in free agency with the Tavares signing and the upcoming contracts that Leafs were going to have to sign with their three main young stars.
On the same day Bozak signed in St. Louis, JVR signed back with the Philadelphia Flyers on a massive five-year deal with a $7 Million cap hit. This was the third contract that the New Jersey native had signed in his career, all of which were signed with the Flyers organization.
JVR’s contract just expired in Philadelphia and despite several injuries over four of the five seasons he was still able to find the back of the net. During his second tour in Philadelphia, JVR averaged 25-goals over an 82-game span.
Through those five years, the Flyers were mostly in a rebuild and the former second overall pick played in the playoffs just once in five seasons.
It would have been ideal to keep van Riemsdyk at left wing over the years and he may have been able to get them over the hump the last few years, but it never happened
Most recently, van Riemsdyk signed a one-year deal in Boston for a $1 Million this past July to keep his career going.