It’s not a secret the New Jersey Devils are in the market for a top-six winger, as they’ve had their name attached to big-name scorers such as Timo Meier and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Devils’ preference is also a winger with term, as general manager Tom Fitzgerald stated in an interview with Pierre LeBrun in The Athletic (From “Devils ‘willing to give’ to get at the trade deadline — for the right player” – The Athletic, 1/27/2023).
But as stated with other trade targets, the Devils may have to go to the rental market if they can’t find a winger with term. They won’t give up their best assets for a rental, but if the cost is reasonable, it’s something Fitzgerald may consider if it helps the team in the playoffs.
One player that fits that description is Philadelphia Flyers winger James van Riemsdyk. He did miss the start of the season with an injury, but he’s played well since then, totaling eight goals and 21 points in 32 games. Let’s look at why he could be a fit and any potential concerns.
van Riemsdyk Having a Solid 2022-23
Though the Flyers haven’t won much since signing van Riemsdyk as a free agent four years ago, he has played well in orange and black. In his four and a half seasons since returning for a second stint in Philadelphia, he’s averaged 26 goals and 52 points per 82 games. That’s probably not worth the $7 million cap hit he has, but he’s still been a productive top-six winger.
However, Van Riemsdyk took a bit of a step back in 2021-22, totaling only 34 points in 82 games, though 24 of those points were goals. But while his production slipped, that wasn’t all on him. His on-ice shooting percentage — which measures how often a player’s team scores when he’s on the ice — fell to 7.66 percent at five-on-five, his lowest since 2015-16 when he was with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Of course, the Flyers were one of the worst teams in the league a season ago. That’s why they hired John Tortorella as head coach; he’s done an admirable job so far. But despite the low on-ice shooting percentage and counting totals, van Riemsdyk had decent underlying metrics in 2021-22, specifically on offense. His even-strength offense was worth an expected goals above replacement (xGAR) of 5.4, and he was still valuable on the power play.
He showed he still had something left in the tank, and despite missing 20 games this season, that’s still held true in the 32 contests he’s appeared in. Were he able to play in 82 games, van Riemsdyk would be on pace for 21 goals and 53 points. Though his actual GAR of 6.8 is overperforming his xGAR of 1.7 because of a high on-ice shooting percentage, he’s been one of the Flyers’ better two-way forwards this season. The Flyers have only allowed 2.43 expected goals per hour with him on the ice at five-on-five, ranked fifth-sixth best on the team.
Related: Devils’ 2022-23 Trade Targets: Vladimir Tarasenko
Whatever you may think of Tortorella, he does find ways to bring the best out of some players, even if he doesn’t do it all the time. There’s no question he’s done that for van Riemsdyk, as he’s shown he still has something left to offer a team looking for scoring depth on their second line or middle-six. And how he plays should appeal to the Devils.
Devils Would Welcome van Riemsdyk’s Net-Front Presence
Playoff hockey is a different breed than regular season hockey. One thing Fitzgerald will likely want to do in acquiring a scoring winger is adding some size. Van Riemsdyk is 6-foot-3, 208 pounds, so he checks off that box. But he’s not just a big body; he actually plays the game like a power forward.
One of his biggest strengths is getting to the net front and firing shots from high-danger areas. When looking at his shot map from Evolving-Hockey, most of his shots over the last three seasons have come in the slot and around the crease:
Though Jack Hughes is one of the best scorers in the league, and Jesper Bratt is on pace for 33 goals, the Devils are missing a forward who can get to the net front and score dirty goals. Miles Wood was supposed to provide that in a bottom-six role this season, but he’s spammed long-range shots far too often.
Van Riemsdyk has a proven track record of getting to the net front and consistently scoring 20-25 goals a season. The Devils could use a power forward like him on their roster, hence why they’ve been pursuing Meier. If they don’t land Meier, van Riemsdyk could make sense as a rental, but he doesn’t come without some red flags.
Concerns with van Riemsdyk
Though van Riemsdyk has been productive over the last few seasons in his early 30s, there are a couple of issues to consider when acquiring him. One of those would be his skating, which could be problematic in a Devils system that emphasizes playing with pace under head coach Lindy Ruff. At 6-foot-3, 208 pounds, he’s not the fleetest of foot, but it’s also unlikely Ruff asks him to do any heavy lifting in transition. That’ll be up to Hughes, Bratt and Nico Hischier. All van Riemsdyk would have to do is get himself into scoring spots in the offensive zone, which he’s proven he can do.
Another potential concern is injuries since he’s missed 20 games this season. But generally, van Riemsdyk has stayed healthy throughout his career. He played in 82 games last season, the full 56 during the COVID-shortened year, and 66 before COVID suspended the 2019-20 campaign in March 2020. His injury this year was a broken finger he suffered when trying to block a shot, so that’s bad luck more than anything else. Otherwise, I don’t think his health is as much of an issue as perceived.
If the Devils think his skating is good enough to play in their system, then I can see him being a fit as a rental, and he shouldn’t cost much to acquire. In The Athletic’s NHL trade board, they speculate that he could cost as little as a mid to late-round pick (from “NHL trade board 2022-23: Bo Horvat is off the market, injuries pile up and more updates on top deadline targets” – The Atheltic, 1/30/2023). With a player card like this, that’s a price most teams should be willing to pay for a scorer:
Even if van Riemsdyk’s play boosts that price tag a bit in the final few weeks before the trade deadline, he still won’t cost top assets. His $7 million cap hit is likely a significant reason for that, and the Flyers will have to retain a portion of that to make a deal work with any team, not just the Devils.
If all else fails and Meier doesn’t end up in New Jersey, van Riemsdyk is another on a list of players (Brock Boeser, Tarasenko) they could consider for the playoffs. Though there are concerns about his skating, his style of hockey bodes well for the playoffs, and he’d add a different dimension to the Devils’ roster. Considering the potentially low cost of acquiring him, he’s someone to keep an eye on as a trade target.
* * *
Advanced stats from Natural Stat Trick, Evolving-Hockey
