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Potential, but Just Very Risky
The most shocking move of the Leafs’ offseason to date was swapping top draft choice Luke Schenn for
top draft choice James Van Riemsdyk. Van Riemsdyk, otherwise known as JVR, had a short stint in
Philadelphia with glimmers of promise sandwiched by unfortunate injuries. But those glimmers of
promise were very exciting to watch. JVR looked strong in the offensive zone with a wicked shot and
good vision, qualities which attracted the Leafs to the 23-year-old forward.
In Toronto, JVR is lined up as the number 1 centre on the depths chart. This would slot him in between
Kessel and Lupul, the two most efficient Maple Leafs last season. If Van Riemsdyk (who has not played
centre since entering the NHL) is able to find his niche down the middle, his numbers could skyrocket.
The worst case scenario is that he is “demoted” to second line winger and plays beside Mikhail
Grabovski. If JVR can stay healthy (which is a very big “if”), he will put up great numbers in the blue and
white.
The Buy-Low Candidate
On the Toronto Maple Leafs this season, there is one player that can be a fantastic addition to many
fantasy teams for a cheap price (due to his underwhelming campaign last season). That player is forward
Nikolai Kulemin, who saw his goal total drop from 30 to 7 in one year. On the surface, it seems that the
30-goal year was merely an outlier and a fluke. However, Kulemin is an extremely gritty and talented
forward who, unfortunately, just got really unlucky last season. Posts were hit, shots were robbed, and
pucks seemed to bounce off of his stick throughout the 82 game season. The highest indication that he
can return to form is by looking at his shooting percentage. It regressed from 17% down to 6%. If
Kulemin can take higher percentage shots and pick his corners, he could be a fantastic addition to even
the shallowest of hockey pools. He can be picked up for dirt cheap, making him a very low risk selection
with high potential.
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