James Van Riemsdyk may not be the player he once was in the NHL, but the 35-year old still has plenty of gas left in the tank after netting 11 goals and 38 points in 71 games a year ago with the Boston Bruins. Now, the veteran forward remains a free agent, and after a recent injury in Montreal, one reporter has officially linked him to the Canadiens.
On paper, signing a veteran like this on a team that's still rebuilding never makes much sense, but with their young core looking to take a step forward, if they can land JVR for less than $1.5 million on a one-year deal, his experience and leadership is certainly worthwhile. On top of that, he would become a solid trade piece at the deadline if he can replicate the success he had a year ago, so it's seemingly a no-brainer for Montreal.
There's other teams still interested in the veteran, but as the season draws near, the interest may be dwindling, so look for Montreal to potentially make a strong push in the next few weeks to lock him up.