Toronto Maple Leafs Must Not Trade James van Riemsdyk

James van Riemsdyk is once again the focus of trade talks, but this is something the Toronto Maple Leafs should not entertain.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are in the market for a defenceman, with the team giving up too many shots and putting a lot of pressure on goaltender Frederik Andersen. While Andrew Nielsen and Travis Dermott appear to be developing well with the Marlies, they are unlikely to receive call ups this season and a veteran player is more likely to be traded for.

James Van Riemsdyk has found himself constantly being linked with a trade for a defenceman, bringing up memories of the trade that brought him to the Leafs in the first place. TSN analyst Pierre LeBrun was recently asked about the possibility of the Leafs trading van Riemsdyk for a defenceman on TSN Radio’s Leafs Lunch.

According to Lyle Richardson of The Hockey News:

"“LeBrun notes he has heard van Riemsdyk’s name mentioned in the trade chatter. However, he speculates it could be something that’s brought up when the March 1 trade deadline approaches.”"

So, it appears the Leafs are at least holding on to JVR until the trade deadline – a time where they could get the best return on him. However, they should hold on to him for as long as possible.

The American winger currently leads the team in goals, with eight, and total points (17), in 18 games played so far. He has also had a scoring spree in recent weeks.

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Since the beginning of November, van Riemsdyk has 11 points in nine games and has built up a strong affinity with his line-mates, Tyler Bozak and Mitch Marner – who have all combined for 47 total points, the most on the Leafs.

In those nine games, van Riemsdyk has provided plenty of offensive opportunities with 23 shots – averaging 14.87 minutes of ice time. His value is high right now and could arguably continue to grow if he can maintain his scoring pace – making him a tempting player for contending teams.

However, the Leafs will need a veteran of van Riemsdyk’s skills as the rebuilding process continues. Their youth movement has given fans a glimpse of the positive future the team is heading towards, but a large part of that success has come thanks to the contributions of van Riemsdyk.

Marner is the top scoring youngster for the Leafs, but has had plenty of his opportunities provided by van Riemsdyk. Taking away a veteran player that has a strong chemistry with one of the team’s best youngsters can have an adverse effect and see the youngster take a step back, having to adjust to different line-mates.

The Leafs need to upgrade their defence, that is very apparent, but they should not be looking to give up van Riemsdyk right now. At the age of 27, he is still young enough to contribute at a high rate for a few more years and, combined with his reasonable contract, is a player Toronto should hold on to.

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JVR’s contract gives him a cap hit of just $4.25 million and expires in 2018, a very reasonable contract for a team looking to build through youth. The idea of a blockbuster trade is enticing for anyone involved or invested in a sport or a particular team, but this is a player the Leafs should ensure they keep around for as long as he can produce.