Bruins reportedly sign James van Riemsdyk to one-year, $1 million contract
James van Riemsdyk's netfront presence might come in handy on Boston's power play.
The Bruins are reportedly filling out some of their depth-chart vacancies up front by bringing aboard a veteran winger with a strong netfront presence.
According to multiple reports, the Bruins are signing forward James van Riemsdyk to a one-year, $1 million contract. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli added that Boston is continuing to target other veterans on inexpensive deals.
With Boston’s new deal, Don Sweeney still has $12.6 million in cap space to sign another six forwards to the roster, along with any other roster tweaks.
If the Bruins are unable to re-sign Tyler Bertuzzi, van Riemsdyk stands as a cheaper option up front in a netfront role.
The 34-year-old winger and University of New Hampshire product is a big body at 6-foot-3 and 208 pounds. Last season was one to forget for van Riemsdyk in Philadelphia, with the forward scoring 12 goals and posting 29 points over 61 games.
But he has scored at least 15 goals in 11 seasons up in the NHL ranks, including a 24-goal campaign over 82 games in 2021-22 with the Flyers.
Even though van Riemsdyk isn’t exactly a proven top-six contributor at this stage of his career, it’s tough to knock Boston for adding a player with his skillset, especially at a $1 million cap hit.
Follow along for more updates on our Bruins free agency live coverage post.
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