WWYDW: Replacing James van Riemsdyk
By Jon Steitzer
8 years ago
Monday we touched on the rather unfortunate matter of James van Riemsdyk being out for 6-8 weeks. At this point we’ve seen Josh Leivo promoted, and as far as Wednesday night’s game is concerned we’ll see Shawn Matthias joining Tyler Bozak and P.A. Parenteau on their line.
This is all well and good, but this is unlikely to stick through February and possibly into mid-March, and there are few things worth considering.
- With the trade deadline coming up on February 29th, is there a forward who could be showcased by putting them on a scoring line? Is that player Shawn Matthias?
- Is it best to see what young players like Josh Leivo can do in a top six role?
- Further to that, if William Nylander recovers over this period of time, is this the right time for him to make his Maple Leafs debut?
The reality of this situation is that with the exception of Nylander, you are just putting someone into the lineup because of van Riemsdyk’s absence, you are certainly are not replacing him. Is it something where the Leafs need to radically overhaul their lines or is it just a matter of finding the right player to compliment Bozak and Parenteau?
I can honestly say at this point I’m in favour of trying a few different things over this extended period of time, but view the trade deadline as the most important factor in any decision, but it’s not about what I think here. It’s about what you think?
So valued TLN reader, what is the best option for the Leafs now that van Riemsdyk is out? I really think they need our help on this one. You can only recall Mark Arcobello so many times. (that’s a lie, you can recall him every day and it’s funny every time)
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