NHL Trade Rumors: Toronto Maple Leafs F James van Riemsdyk

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NHL Trade Rumors: Toronto Maple Leafs left wing James van Riemsdyk (25) motions from the bench during the game in which he scored a hat trick against the Nashville Predators at Air Canada Centre. The Maple Leafs defeated the Predators 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports /

NHL Trade Rumors: TSN’s Darren Dreger Reported Earlier in the Week that Teams are Calling Toronto Regarding the Availability of Forward James van Riemsdyk. The Maple Leafs Would Likely Want a Top-4 Defenseman in Return (Preferably Right-Handed). Let’s Explore 5 Hypothetical Deals for JVR:

NHL trade rumors took an unexpected twist last week when TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that clubs are calling Toronto regarding the availability of forward James van Riemsdyk. The 27-year-old winger carries a $4.25 million dollar cap hit through 2017-18.

Given the Leafs struggles on the back end – especially the right side – most have assumed that any return package would need to include a quality top-four defender. It’s not a slight on KHL transfer Nikita Zaitsev, who in all honesty has exceeded expectations, but there’s a serious drop-off after that.

By acquiring another RH shot that can log heavy minutes, Toronto can slide Zaitsev down to that second pairing with Jake Gardiner (if they want). They might even keep Morgan Rielly in mind while discussing their potential trade options. Fans were hoping he might secure that no.1 d-man tag in 2016-17, but it’s been somewhat disappointing in that sense. Perhaps the answer to getting the 22-year-old going is a new defensive partner that helps take a bit of pressure off of Morgan?

Now obviously, a deal needs to make sense for both sides. Given the current landscape of teams fighting for playoff spots and ahead of expansion, the options are a bit thin. That being said, we’ve got five hypothetical deals that Toronto might be wise to explore.

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