When the 2007 NHL Entry Draft was underway, the top two picks were Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks and James van Riemsdyk of the Philadelphia Flyers. James van Riemsdyk has been a solid NHL winger during his two stints with Philadelphia and with the Toronto Maple Leafs and most recently with the Boston Bruins. James, now a free agent, has been a solid complementary scorer with the teams he has played for. In 1,011 regular season games, he has scored 311 goals and 318 assists for a total of 629 points. He also has 36 playoff points (21 goals, 15 assists) in 82 games. The 35-year-old James has had a stellar career in the league. However, he is not the only member of his family to have played a significant role in the NHL.
Shortly after James entered the league, his brother Trevor also signed with the Chicago Blackhawks as an undrafted free agent. It has been a long and illustrious career for both Van Riemsdyk brothers, with stints with both the Blackhawks and Carolina Hurricanes before joining the Washington Capitals. He is a great complementary talent for the defense, and his strengths will make an already talented Capitals defense even stronger.
Becoming the capital
Trevor attended the University of New Hampshire and played three seasons for the university's hockey team. His best statistical season was in 2012-13, when he recorded eight goals, 25 assists and 33 points in 39 games. He then signed with Chicago and made his NHL debut in the 2014-15 season. He played primarily with the Blackhawks but also with the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League (AHL). He recorded an assist in 18 games with Chicago. He joined an experienced defenseman lined up with Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Michal Rojvar and Johnny Oduya.
In his three seasons with Chicago, van Riemsdyk had the following stats:
- 2014-15: 1 assist in 18 games
- 2015-16: 3 goals, 11 assists, 14 points in 82 games
- 2016-17: 5 goals, 11 assists, 16 points in 58 games
In addition to his regular season success, van Riemsdyk also appeared in three postseason games, including leading the Blackhawks to their third Stanley Cup victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2015. He also scored a goal in seven games during the 2016 postseason, earning his first playoff points.
Related: The Numbers Game: 2015 Stanley Cup Winners Edition
After three seasons with the Blackhawks, van Riemsdyk was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 expansion draft. Nevertheless, he never appeared in a game for his new team as he was traded by the Golden Knights to the Hurricanes for the total value of Vegas' 2018 seventh round pick and their 2017 second round pick in exchange for van Riemsdyk.
Van Riemsdyk played three seasons with Carolina. Here are his stats during his time with the Hurricanes:
- 2017-18: 3 goals, 13 assists, 16 points in 79 games
- 2018-19: 3 goals, 11 assists, 14 points in 78 games
- 2019-20: 1 goal, 7 assists, 8 points in 49 games
Van Riemsdyk added great defensive depth to a blue-line core that also included Dougie Hamilton, Justin Faulk, Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce, but after the 2019-20 season, van Riemsdyk left the team as a free agent and signed a one-year contract with the Capitals.
Van Riemsdyk Playing the best hockey in Washington
Since arriving in DC in 2020, Van Riemsdyk has fit in and played his best hockey. So far, his career high in points will come with the Capitals in the 2022-23 season. During that season, he had seven goals, 16 assists and 23 points in 75 games. In fact, here are his regular season stats since coming to Washington:
- 2020-21: 1 goal, 2 assists, 3 points in 20 games
- 2021-22: 1 goal, 16 assists, 17 points in 72 games.
- 2022-23: 7 goals, 16 assists, 23 points in 75 games.
- 2023-24: 14 assists in 70 games
In the Capitals' playoff run, van Riemsdyk has two total points (one goal, one assist) in nine playoff games (accumulated between the 2021-22 and 2023-24 postseasons).
Van Riemsdyk is currently under contract with Washington through 2026, and he will continue to provide impressive defensive depth alongside teammates John Carlson, new signing Matt Roy and new signings Jakob Chytsrun and Rasmus Sandin.
Trevor isn't a forward and may not have the scoring prowess of his brother James, but he has made an impact defensively on every team he's played for, making an impact in both Chicago and Carolina, and the Capitals have kept him on the team since acquiring him in 2020. Barring a trade, he'll likely play another couple of seasons in Washington and continue to play a key role in the Capitals' defense.
