1000-game veteran James van Riemsdyk linked to the Colorado Avalanche for a potential PTO

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James Connelly
August 18, 2024 (4:52 PM)

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James van Riemsdyk has established himself as a fantastic NHLer throughout his lengthy career. However, age is catching up to him and he may be forced to sign a PTO this fall.

James van Riemsdyk has been widely regarded as one of the better players in the NHL for the majority of his career. At 35 years old, he is now entering the twilight of his career and could wind up retiring this offseason if he does not get an NHL offer.

However, he has emerged as a potential PTO (Professional Try Out) candidate for the Stanley Cup contending Colorado Avalanche. Colorado Hockey Now reporter Evan Rawal shared the following.

"Does the veteran of over 1,000 games still have anything left in the tank? Could he keep up on the Avalanche? He did put up 38 points last season for the Bruins, so he's got some scoring ability left, but speed is the real question. Any questions you have about him could be answered in training camp on a PTO." - Evan Rawal

Van Riemsdyk was originally drafted 2nd overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2007 draft. He spent his first three years in Philadelphia before being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs where he had the most success of his illustrious career. After six years in Toronto, van Riemsdyk took his talents back to Philadelphia where he played another five years. Then during the 2023 offseason, Van Riemsdyk signed with the Boston Bruins hoping to win a Stanley Cup. While he did not reach that goal, he did prove that he is still valuable scoring 38 points in 71 games.

Currently, van Riemsdyk is without a contract but could sign a PTO with a team like Colorado or another Stanley Cup contender. We will now wait and see where van Riemsdyk lands moving forward.

Source for James van Riemsdyk's statistics: NHL.com
James van Riemsdyk's profile

Source: Colorado Hockey Now
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