An obvious need at forward, president and general manager Don Waddell dipped into free agency on Sunday, signing veteran forward James van Riemsdyk to a one-year, $900,000 contract.
Van Riemsdyk, 35 years old, has spent 15 seasons in the NHL with the Philadelphia Flyers (2009-12, 2018-23), Toronto Maple Leafs (2012-18), Boston Bruins (2023-24), and now Columbus.
The veteran has compiled 629 points (311 goals, 318 assists) in 1,011 games. Last season with the Bruins, van Riemsdyk scored 38 points (11 goals, 27 assists) in 71 games.
#CBJ James van Riemsdyk on his willingness to step into a Blue Jackets dressing room that could endure difficult days: pic.twitter.com/CoDGqHxEIO
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) September 15, 2024
Needing to fill a roster spot following Johnny Gaudreau's passing, it was announced on Saturday that the Blue Jackets would be without Justin Danforth due to off-season wrist surgery for the start of training camp.
#CBJ Justin Danforth (wrist) had off-season surgery and wont be ready for the start of camp next week. Hes to see a doctor on Monday, per GM Don Waddell.
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) September 14, 2024
Waddell is still considering additional forward options for the Blue Jackets, who open training camp on Wednesday with physicals.
As The Athletic's Aaron Portzline wrote on Sunday, van Riemsdyk is friends with former Blue Jackets and Flyers players Scott Hartnell, Cam Atkinson, and Jody Shelley.
"I've heard a lot of players say a lot of great things about the city and organization," van Riemsdyk said.
"For me, just looking at the roster, there are a ton of really good pieces. There are some really established veterans. There are some young guys, too, guys who are looking to take the next step. That's an exciting time for an organization, when you've got those pillars and those prospects. There's experience, but there's a lot of excitement and exuberance, too."
In addition to being a solid veteran in the locker room and on the ice, van Riemsdyk has a proven knack for his scoring contribution, scoring at least 20 goals in seven seasons and registering at least 40 points in eight seasons.
Another area that can help his new club is his offensive production on the power play, as he has 163 career points (93 goals) with the man advantage. Last season with Boston, he had 12 power-play points and six goals.
Kirill Marchenko led Columbus with nine power-play goals a season ago, and the Jackets had three skaters with double-digit power-play points (Gaudreau (18), Marchenko (13), and Zach Werenski (12).
Van Riemsdyk was third among Bruins forwards last season with 7.42 shots/60 and 0.93 individual expected goals/60 per Natural Stat Trick.
On top of van Riemsdyk's impact on the ice, it can't be left unsaid the role he's embracing, going to a team that might not have a lot of wins on the ice but is also dealing with unfathomable tragedy following Gaudreau's passing.
van Riemsdyk can be a leader in a multitude of ways and help bring light to a tough situation.
