The Boston Bruins have had a relatively quiet offseason so far. Aside from acquiring J.J. Peterka and a few minor signings, they haven't done much else. This makes you think that with their limited cap space, they may turn to professional tryouts as another way to bring in veteran forwards.
One of the biggest targets has to be a reunion with free agent forward James van Riemsdyk. He has had an incredible career and still has some hockey left in him. The Bruins should be all over that and push to get a PTO or a veteran's minimum signing done before it's too late.
Why JVR makes sense for the Bruins
On paper, the Bruins have a good forward group; it's their bottom six that could use a veteran presence like JVR. As of right now, they have Tanner Jeannot, Sean Kuraly, Alex Steeves, Michael Eyssimont, and Mark Kastelic. All are battling for spots in the bottom six; if you add in van Riemsdyk, it adds a consistent depth scorer who has proven that he can still put up 30 points.
Last season with the Detroit Red Wings, he had 15 goals and 16 assists for 31 points in 72 games. Even if he only played in 60 games and could put up 25-30 points, it'd be a huge pickup. He doesn't need a ton of even-strength ice time, somewhere around 8-10 minutes, because he will also contribute to the second power-play unit. On a nightly basis, he is good for somewhere in the 12-minute range, and if he can be as consistent as he was last year, that's a bargain buy for the league's minimum.
It also allows a veteran to work with some of the younger forwards like James Hagens, who could benefit from having a veteran like JVR around. He is widely known as a power-play specialist, so if he could teach some of his skills to the younger talent on the Bruins roster, it would be a win-win.
All in all, the pros vastly outweigh the cons; this is a move that the Bruins should make, and they shouldn't wait to pull it off.
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