With the acquisition of James Van Riemsdyk from Philadelphia for Luke Schenn yesterday, the Maple Leafs added a talented 23 year old scorer who has three NHL seasons under his belt, who is locked up for six years, as he signed a contract extension with the Flyers before last season.
The addition of Van Riemsdyk would seem to give Toronto depth at left wing, with Joffrey Lupul and Clarke MacArthur already on the squad, but it is possible that the Leafs may give the big forward at look at center, where the club has long had a need for size.
“I have talked to Randy….where he plays and with whom he plays is up to the coach. He has played a fair amount of center in his career, he was a center until he turned pro. I envision him mostly on the wall, but if Randy wants to try him in the middle, that’s fine too.” said GM Brian Burke following the deal.
“From my perspective….we are not big enough up front….not that he plays huge, he’s not a big banger, but he’s a big body with skill, those guys are hard to eliminate.”
There will be a lot more roster maneuvering in the next few weeks and it is possible that the stockpile on the wing could be remedied by a trade, but if no impact moves for a Ryan Getzlaf or Paul Stastny are made, it is likely that Toronto will see if Van Riemsdyk can handle a move to the middle.
One thing can be said in the wake of this deal, the Leafs are not as tough a team today without Schenn and with the addition of the skilled Van Riemsdyk, which will have to be addressed by Burke with other moves this summer.
*******
The posturing regarding interest in Roberto Luongo continued after the draft, as the
Florida Panthers have been floated as a potential destination for the veteran goaltender.
Sportsnet’s Mark Spector indicates this morning that there is a healthy dose of skepticism that Luongo’s former club is truly interested in bringing him back and that their mention is strictly being done to drive up the price for the only team that appears to be willing to take on his onerous contract.
We're told the money-losing Florida Panthers simply will not look at a contract as stout as Luongo's, and other teams in need have filled goaltending voids elsewhere. So Gillis runs the risk of losing Burke, and having no place to send Luongo.
Burke is saying publicly that Gillis' price is too high. Privately, he may believe he is Luongo's only suitor, and shouldn't have to part with much more than Mike Komisarek.
Panthers beat reporter George Richards indicates that GM Dale Tallon had spoken to Vancouver GM Mike Gillis about goaltending, but that the Canucks were asking for the club’s top prospects.
In the Toronto Star, columnist Damien Cox floated the idea that Toronto should use an offer sheet as a weapon against the Canucks.
There's one card Burke could play, one that would turn relations between the two clubs downright ugly.
The Leaf GM could lay down a huge, multi-year, multi-million offer sheet next Monday for the other Vancouver goalie, 26-year-old restricted free agent Cory Schneider, the Canucks goalie every team would rather get if they had a choice.
That wouldn't get them Schneider; Vancouver would have to match rather than accept multiple first rounders from Toronto.
But it would force Vancouver's hand in the same way San Jose forced Chicago to let Antti Niemi go a few years ago by signing Niklas Hjalmarsson. Let's say the Schneider offer was eight years for $40 million. The Canucks would be stuck with more than $10 million in annual goalie costs, with both at lengthy terms. The Leafs could also, if they wanted, load the deal with so-called "lockout" money, say $15 million in the first year that would be Schneider's even if there's a lockout next season.
While using an offer sheet as a weapon against the Canucks would be effective, it likely will not get the Leafs a goaltender. In this scenario, Toronto would likely offer a contract in the $5 to 6 Million range, which would cost them a 1st, 2nd and 3rd round pick in next year’s draft. That cap number is more than Vancouver would like to spend on Schneider, but they would likely match because Schneider is only 27, but it is doubtful, unless Luongo forces their hand that Gillis trades his other goaltender to a team that purposely puts his team in a pickle.
If you are interested in sponsorship or advertising your business in the Greater Toronto / Southern Ontario area on this column, please send a message for more information by clicking on the “Contact” button at the top of the page.
For Those on Twitter:
KINDLE USERS: Please sign up for Maple Leafs Buzz, which includes a free-of-charge 14-day trial and is just 99 cents per month afterwards. For more information
click here.
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»