Philadelphia Flyers Rumors: Veteran Winger Linked to Maple Leafs

Philadelphia Flyers forward James van Riemsdyk's trade market is starting to heat up as we gear closer to the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline. It ultimately makes sense, as he is a pending UFA who still can produce well offensively at this point of his career. Yet, it appears that a new team may be entering the mix, as Michael Russo of The Athletic reported that the Toronto Maple Leafs are currently linked to JVR.

There is no question that the Maple Leafs would benefit from adding another left winger to their middle six before the deadline passes. Although they have been linked to stars like Timo Meier and Patrick Kane, it would not be a bad thing to also have JVR as a potential plan. Keep in mind, he would cost a lot less to acquire and is a very familiar face, as he of course spent seven seasons as a Leaf previously.

In 34 games this season, van Riemsdyk has eight goals to go along with 21 points in 34 games played. Overall, these are solid numbers, but perhaps a change of scenery back to Toronto could allow his production to go up even more. This is especially true if the Leafs take advantage of his excellent net-front presence ability on the power play.

Alas, let's see if JVR becomes a Leaf again at the deadline from here.