As one of the busier teams during the NHL offseason, the Detroit Red Wings brought in a multitude of new players through both free agency and trade.
One of the new acquisitions by GM Steve Yzerman was veteran James van Riemsdyk, who is only 18 regular season games from 1,100 in his NHL career.
van Riemsdyk didn’t participate in Red Wings Training Camp or the pre-season after his wife gave birth to twins, one of whom needed extra care, necessitating his absence.
He’s been practicing and while he didn’t dress for either of Detroit’s opening two games of the new season, he could very well be inserted into the lineup for Monday afternoon’s rematch against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
van Riemsdyk, who played six seasons as a member of the Maple Leafs, always looks forward to returning to the city he once called home.
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“Every time I get a chance to play in that building, it’s very nostalgic for me,” he said of potentially making his Red Wings debut at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena. “I really enjoyed my time there, and it’s just a great city and great fanbase, a great building to play in. Any time you get to go in there, it’s always fun. You circle it on the calendar and get excited for it.”
“This is what I love to do. To go out there, and whenever that is, to join the guys and get into live action, I’m really looking forward to it,” van Riemsdyk continued. “We’ll see when that is.”
He practiced playing on a line with Mason Appleton and Michael Rasmussen during Sunday’s skate at the BELFOR Training Center inside of Little Caesars Arena. While van Riemsdyk himself didn’t confirm if he was given the green light for Monday afternoon, head coach Todd McLellan hinted at the strong possibility.
“Good chance,” McLellan answered on van Riemsdyk’s status for Monday.
Adding van Riemsdyk to the lineup for the Red Wings, who will try and claim their second victory over the Maple Leafs in 48 hours following Saturday evening’s 6-3 win, should pay dividends for Detroit considering his play around the net.
“He’s played a lot of years on a lot of good teams,” McLellan said. “He has that stability. He’s a big man with good hands, (effective) on the power play. In and around the net, he’s been one of the better ones in the NHL over a number of years. He’s played real good in those areas and he’s crafty.”
If van Riemsdyk ultimately slots into Detroit’s lineup, he’ll likely replace Jonatan Berggren, who played against Toronto on Saturday evening.
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