It was early on last summer that James van Riemsdyk and Kevin Shattenkirk signed one-year contracts with the Boston Bruins as free agents. But despite both having played serviceably for the Bruins, it appears neither will be returning to Boston this upcoming season after the organization chose to spend money elsewhere this time around.
In fact, it’s a real possibility at this point that van Riemsdyk and Shattenkirk won’t be playing anywhere this year as they remain unsigned.
With both players being 35 years old, it’s not exactly a surprise teams didn’t covet them early on in the offseason. However, it’s hard to believe that in the dog days of summer, not a single team thinks they can get a bargain out of either van Riemsdyk or Shattenkirk.
The Bruins did last year.
Scoring 38 points with 11 goals and 27 assists, van Riemsdyk’s numbers in Boston were far from what they used to be, even just a few seasons ago. But he still provided the Bruisn value on just a $1 million price tag. He played up and down the lineup and was still able to serve as the net-front presence on the power play, a spot where he’s made a living for the majority of his career.
The same can be said of Shattenkirk. Although he was never supposed to be regular in the lineup, Shattenkirk came in handy for the Bruins, playing in 61 games during a year when their blue line was rarely at full strength. That alone made him well worth the $1.05 million Boston paid him.
Nevertheless, work has been hard to come by for the two veterans this summer. Teams around the league have all but boarded up their windows lately, with very little cap room left after spending a combined record of $1.2 billion during the first day of free agency on July 1.
But at this stage of their careers, van Riemsdyk and Shattenkirk have made their money and would be foolish to expect an offer of anything more than what they made with the Bruins last year. They may even be willing to sign a professional tryout contract with a team in training camp if it means getting the chance to play again.
“Even at my age, it’s great to be in a competitive atmosphere every day,” Shattenkirk told reporters when the Bruins cleaned out their lockers on May 19. “ It drove me this year. It made me hungry.”
At the very least, even if Shattenkirk never plays another NHL game again, he can find solace in having won a Stanley Cup.
van Riemsdyk cannot.
The former second overall pick in the 2007 draft has been a part of several postseason teams over the course of his 15-year career, but each has fallen short of the ultimate prize.
“At the end of the day, we all play to win the last game of the year,” van Riemsdyk told reporters after the Bruins were eliminated from the playoffs. “It’s all about having a chance to win. You want to be in a place where it’s a good fit as far as what you bring to the table and the role you’ll be playing.”
As much as talent in skill matters in the playoffs, teams value leadership and experience. van Riemsdyk has played in more than 1,000 career games, and Shattenkirk is on the verge of doing so should a team give him a chance this season. So, at the very least, both can contribute as a presence in the dressing room.
