5 Boston Bruins that won't be back next season

James van Riemsdyk

When the Bruins signed James van Riemsdyk last summer to a one year, $1 million contract, it screamed one year veteran placeholder for a team entering a bridge year. With van Riemsdyk likely nearing the end of his career, it was a move that made sense for the Bruins.

Now that the year is over, it still feels like the one year placeholder signing. He did have a solid year with the Bruins, scoring 11 goals and adding 27 assists for 38 points, matching his 2021-2022 total in 71 games this year for the Bruins.

He performed as advertised, a guy who creates offense around the net and is useful on the power play for that exact reason, tipping home shots from the point and hovering around the net to cash in on rebound chances. He also played all over the lineup, playing on different lines almost all year.

By the end of the regular season, it was clear that van Riemsdyk had fallen down the depth chart a bit, and he started the playoffs as a healthy scratch. When he drew in for game three against Toronto, he didn't leave the lineup as he recorded a goal and four assists in 11 playoff games.

However, van Riemsdyk's skillset is now redundant on the Bruins. The 26 year old Justin Brazeau is a younger option who offers the same things van Riemsdyk does. He also is not a particularly fast skater, and with the front office saying the team needs to get faster, I wouldn't expect van Riemsdyk to return for another year.