The Boston Bruins’ centennial season is officially complete. While it did not net a Stanley Cup Championship and give the Bruins faithful another duck boat parade, the season was not a complete failure. The organization got to celebrate 100 years of Bruins hockey and even took a trip down memory lane. Several era nights took place at TD Garden, where fans got to relive the memories of different eras of Bruins hockey.
The Bruins also finished with another 100-point season and finished second in the Atlantic Division. Now that the season is over, we can reflect on how players performed and give them a grade for the season. Today’s report card will be on veteran forward James van Riemsdyk.
A Bargain Signing That Paid Off
A return to the New England area was in order for van Riemsdyk. He played college hockey at the University of New Hampshire, so he had ties to the area. The New Jersey native spent the majority of his hockey career with the Philadelphia Flyers (2009-12, 2018-23), and the Toronto Maple Leafs (2013-17). He has seen plenty of the Bruins over the course of his career, but now was on the right side of things.
Related: Boston Bruins 2023-24 Season Report Cards: Morgan Geekie
van Riemsdyk came at an extremely affordable signing, as the Bruins signed him for one year and at a cost of $1 million. Even though he is getting up there in age, he has been a steady producer. Here is what he has done production-wise since the 2016-17 season:
- 2016-17: 29-33-62
- 2017-18: 36-18-54
- 2018-19: 27-21-48
- 2019-20: 19-21-40
- 2020-21: 17-26-43
- 2021-22: 24-14-38
- 2022-23: 12-17-29
Safe to say, van Riemsdyk has been a known producer that can provide a boost of depth scoring. He has a big body that can cause chaos in front of the net and uses his big frame to create chances for himself. There was little expectation set before him, but just having a veteran presence in the locker room and providing an extra layer of scoring is all this Bruins team needed. If they got anything similar to his 2021-22 output, that was more than enough.
van Riemsdyk played 71 games for the Bruins and scored 11 goals and 38 points. He did in fact match that production output from 2021-22, but did it more with his playmaking ability. He played up and down the lineup this season, but the most effective line was alongside Trent Frederic and Morgan Geekie.
That line was a perfect blend of size and speed with the other two. They were effective in the high-danger areas and great at suppressing the opposition. Offensively they went on to average 3.66 expected goals for per 60 minutes, while averaging 1.78 expected goals against per 60 minutes. The goal differential was much different (7-3 in favor of the opposition). van Riemsdyk also found success with Charlie Coyle and Frederic, as they had a goal differential of 7-2.
van Riemsdyk also saw power play time and factored into key situations throughout the season. While he was a mainstay during the regular season, the playoffs went a little bit different.
van Riemsdyk’s Playoff Production
The playoffs were an entirely different story for van Riemsdyk. With a plethora of bottom-of-the-lineup players that could play such as Justin Brazeau, Pat Maroon, and Jakub Lauko, room for van Riemsdyk was tough to come by.
van Riemsdyk did slot into the lineup for the final five games of the first round against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He did factor in by scoring a goal in a tightly contested 3-1 victory in Game 4 but also had two assists in Games 6 and 7, which were one-goal games. He made the most of his opportunity and was able to contribute. With the top guys getting shut down, having a veteran player like van Riemsdyk contribute was great to see. The second round was a different story, as the Florida Panthers’ stellar defense was evident. He finished the second round with two assists. Not a bad playoff run for him and a successful season in the black and gold.
A Bargain Signing That Struck Gold
You can make a case that van Riemsdyk was the best value signing during the 2023-24 season. The other that comes to mind is New York Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick, who was stellar in net and was able to give Igor Shesterkin a breather.
van Riemsdyk was a great depth presence who provided the Bruins with extra production. He certainly exceeded expectations and was effective with any of his linemates. He isn’t the fastest guy on the ice but he is a smart player with valuable years of experience. What a homerun of a signing for Sweeney and the Bruins.
Grade: B
