With James van Riemsdyk’s play taking a huge jump for the Toronto Maple Leafs, is the 26 year old forward playing his way out of Toronto?

Last season, JVR was ranked 849th in SAT differential (NHL.com). This season he’s currently 3rd. That’s a major turnaround, regardless of the sample size. He’s been significantly better – and he’s not being propped up by anyone. In fact, most players’ possession numbers are putrid without him.

Whatever he’s worked on in the off-season, or whatever the new coaching staff has changed with him, it’s working. James van Riemsdyk is a much better hockey player than he was last year for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

His current $4.25M cap hit is good until the end of the 2017-2018 season, at which time he’ll be 29 years old. The max value for a player is in the age range that JVR is currently in. Odds are he’ll be looking for a 6-7 year deal after his current contract expires and, based off the recent contract of the less talented Justin Abdelkader, he’s going to be getting a raise that should price out a competent front office.

Van Riemsdyk is playing on a snake-bitten Toronto Maple Leafs offence right now, so his point totals aren’t going to wow anyone, but it’s a long season and there’s room to rebound.

With his overall play being so much better, if his point totals increase he could be playing himself of out the Toronto Maple Leafs organization. It’s not that he isn’t a player that could be part of the rebuild, it’s that with his age when it’s time for a contract renewal makes it really difficult to commit to the type of contract he’ll likely be after.

Serious, annual, contenders can’t hamstring themselves with bad contracts. Handing out a long term deal to a player where most of the contract will be played in his 30s just isn’t smart. Players decline, and most of them rapidly. There are very few players, that are legitimately impact players, playing into their mid-30s that make big money.

This could be the best case scenario for the Toronto Maple Leafs if you look at it from a return point of view. His contract is great and it’s very manageable for most teams around the league. If his offensive production returns to what it can be then he’s going to be an easy sell for a return that shouldn’t disappoint.

What would you do, Leafs fans? Trade JVR? Keep him? Keep him and extend him? Have your say.

What should the Maple Leafs do with JVR? Trade Him

Keep Him

Keep Him + Extend him View Results