The Toronto Maple Leafs stirred up a little offseason noise over the weekend, but the James van Riemsdyk buzz appears to be more nostalgia than news. Toronto posted a highlight video of the unsigned veteran winger, and the timing was enough to get fans talking about a possible reunion.
Van Riemsdyk, 37, is still viewed as someone who can help in a depth role after scoring 15 goals last season. The Leafs have also put out videos for Tyler Bozak and Justin Holl, so this looks like a theme rather than a tease.
Even so, the fit is easy to see: Toronto could use a net-front presence and some veteran scoring on a short-term or PTO deal.
In Minnesota, the Wild’s offseason strategy may have left them exposed. The club put Dylan Larkin at the center of its plans, and GM Bill Guerin reportedly shifted away from other options while trying to land the Red Wings captain.
Larkin was said to be open to joining Minnesota, but the Wild passed on other possibilities in the process. Vincent Trocheck ended up in Utah, and Anders Lee was another name they missed.
Now, with Steve Yzerman stepping down in Detroit, any Larkin pursuit is up in the air. In Detoit, the search for a new GM will be taking place if not already underway.
There will be several candidates, but Brendan Shanahan ‘s name has come up. Elliotte Friedman suggested the former Maple Leafs President would be interested in the opening.
Chicago’s Bowen Byram move might have done more than strengthen the roster. It may have helped seal Connor Bedard’s five-year extension.
The two developments came close together, and the link is hard to miss. Bedard and Byram are close, they’ve practiced together in the offseason, and both have represented Canada internationally.
Reports say Bedard was excited about the trade and reached out to Byram right after it happened.
Dallas, meanwhile, is staring at a tense stretch with Jason Robertson. There’s no extension close and no trade close either, but the clock is ticking toward his arbitration hearing on July 25.
Robertson is believed to be standing firm on his asking price, and new deals such as Leo Carlsson’s give him reason not to back down. The Stars, for their part, remain hesitant.
If nothing gets done soon, the trade chatter could pick up fast, with the Pittsburgh Penguins among the teams said to have interest. Something has to give, whether that ends up being a major extension or a surprising move.
In Other News...
Connor Bedard Just Added Fuel To Patrick Kane Buzz
Connor Bedards new long-term deal with the Blackhawks locked in the face of the franchise, but it also gave Chicago another reminder of how much star power still matters around this rebuild. With Patrick Kane still on the market, Bedard made it clear he would welcome the chance to share the ice with the former Blackhawks icon again, adding a little more intrigue to a name that never really leaves the conversation in Chicago.
For a team trying to turn promise into something bigger, the idea of Kane coming back carries obvious appeal beyond nostalgia. Bedards comments only sharpened that buzz, since a reunion would give the Blackhawks a proven veteran presence and one of the leagues most recognizable returning storylines, even as the final landing spot for Kane remains unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Quietly Made A Move That May Have Helped Bedard Commit
The Blackhawks summer work has not been only about roster fit and cap planning. Their acquisition of Bowen Byram also appears to have carried a quieter benefit, one tied to Connor Bedard and the long-standing connection between the two. In a league where star players notice everything around them, Chicagos move seems to have resonated beyond the blue line and into the bigger picture of keeping its franchise centerpiece comfortable with the direction of the team.
Byrams arrival may have mattered in a way that does not show up in the box score, giving the Blackhawks another layer of value from a deal that was already about improving the lineup. For a rebuilding club trying to convince Bedard that the next steps are worth taking together, those kinds of details can matter just as much as the on-ice ones, and this is one of the reasons the move drew attention inside the organization. [Read more 🡒]