Placed on waivers: First reported members of the Red Wings to be dumped has been revealed
Photo credit: NHL.com
The first member of the Detroit Red Wings who could be demoted from his top lineup spot has been revealed.
The Detroit Red Wings' training camp is finally around the corner, and fans are eager to see the players back on the ice.
Many of them have a lot to prove, and a lot to lose. There will be a few young players to follow closely as they look to impress the coaching staff and make the NHL lineup, but there will also be veterans who have the same goal.
According to a new report, James van Riemsdyk is a top candidate to be demoted in the lineup, or worse, placed on waivers during the regular season.
Van Riemsdyk Emerges As Candidate To Lose Lineup Spot In Detroit
During the offseason, Detroit made a move that would've made any team jealous 10 years ago: they signed the former All-Star winger James van Riemsdyk to a one-year deal worth $1 million.
Van Riemsdyk is still a reliable NHL forward, tallying 16 goals in 71 games for the Columbus Blue Jackets last season, but many felt that this addition to the top six was underwhelming for a team like the Wings looking to exit their rebuild phase.
Pairing van Riemsdyk with top-line talents like Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond may have sounded interesting on paper, but analysts and fans aren't exactly sold on it.
The team wants to get younger and is likely to give an opportunity to one of their top prospects at some point in the season. If that happens, van Riemsdyk is among the obvious contenders.
However, he won't give up that easily. Here's what he said when he signed his contract in Detroit about helping the team win:
"I have a lot of familiarity with guys on the team and obviously an Original Six team is super exciting too. It definitely checked a lot of boxes. I think, obviously, having the experience of being through a lot of different things over the course of my career can be a help. That's kind of where I see myself fitting in with the lineup. I think that is how I can help them."
If he plays a role in the success of the team, Todd McLellan will have no reason to remove him from the lineup. Fans are eager to see what he'll bring to the team.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 13 | 335 ANSWERS Placed on waivers: First reported members of the Red Wings to be dumped has been revealed Do you think James van Riemsdyk will spend the full season on the Detroit Red Wings' first line? | ||
| Yes | 86 | 25.7 % |
| No | 249 | 74.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
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