This piece will be another in my series of player profiles, where I’ll give some thoughts on the performance of a member of the Carolina Hurricanes this season. This article will focus on Trevor van Riemsdyk.
Coming into the year, many expected van Riemsdyk to form a solid shutdown pairing with Joel Edmundson, but the two didn't even start the year together and defensively, van Riemsdyk wasn’t as strong as what you’d hope for. Offensively, he also managed only eight points in 49 games.
He was a healthy scratch at points and when he did play, he averaged just 14:52 per night. Even in terms of penalty kill usage, van Riemsdyk was being used less than every other defender except for Haydn Fleury. However, by the end of the year, it became clear that Haydn Fleury could take over any responsibilities if van Riemsdyk does leave as a free agent.
I don’t think there’s a very high chance that van Riemsdyk returns. The only reason I think there’s the slightest possibility he’s re-signed is that Carolina’s logjam on defense is on the left side, with a spot open under Dougie Hamilton and Brett Pesce on the right side (assuming Sami Vatanen doesn’t re-sign). That said, I can’t imagine that being enough of a reason to extend him, rather than switching someone over to their off-side on a permanent basis (likely Haydn Fleury if Jake Gardiner isn’t dealt in the offseason).
Van Riemsdyk provided some decent depth for the Hurricanes but it seems like this season was probably the last we’ve seen of him as a Hurricane. With him soon to be 29 years old and Carolina working to manage a logjam on defense, he’s likely to head to free agency.
Here's today's poll question (results and discussion will be posted every Saturday):
Do you think the Hurricanes will re-sign Trevor van Riemsdyk?
Check back tomorrow for the final article in the series of player profiles, which will look all players who were either acquired or traded by Carolina part-way through the season.
I also thought I'd try this: If you have any ideas that you want me to write about, feel free to put a note in the comments and I'll try to turn it into an article!
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