Maple Leafs Target Named ‘Top Remaining Free Agent’ Forward

The Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to bolster their forward corps and they could still land the best available unrestricted free agent in a reunion with James van Riemsdyk.

According to Daily Faceoff, Van Riemsdyk is one of the best remaining free agents. The outlet listed him as the “Top Remaining Free Agent” in a column written by Matt Larkin on July 9.

With the first wave of free agency already over and most high-profile free agents now signed, the Maple Leafs could still find a top-tier player available to bolster their offense. According to CapFriendly, via Larkin’s story, “a total of 185 deals were signed July 1, totaling $1,211,910,000” billion.

Larkin’s updated rank also makes Mike Augello’s report for HockeyBuzz.com even more enticing for Toronto, as the NHL insider recently linked the franchise with a potential reunion with the unrestricted free agent.

Van Riemsdyk spent the 2023-24 season with the Boston Bruins scoring 11 goals and assisting 27 for 38 total points. He posted a plus-7 rating in 71 games and contributed 5 points in 11 playoff games.

The forward completed a one-year deal with the Bruins with a cap hit of just $1 million. According to Daily Faceoff, he is projected to sign another one-year contract in the 2024 offseasons worth 1.2 million.

Maple Leafs’ Interested in Van Riemsdyk

The Maple Leafs could try to sign van Riemsdyk in free agency as the former Toronto forward could be one of the final pieces in the Leafs puzzle for the 2024-25 season and has been linked to the team of late.

By signing van Riemsdyk, Toronto would reunite with their former forward, who played for the Maple Leafs from the start of the 2012-13 season through the 2017-18 campaign.