Washington Capitals Player Preview: Trevor van Riemsdyk enters big role in 2021-22

We are in the homestretch of our Washington Capitals player preview series which means there’s just a handful of guys left. It aligns perfectly with things being less than a week away from the regular season. Up next is Trevor van Riemsdyk who we knew was in for a bigger role this upcoming season once the team protected him from the Seattle Kraken in the NHL Expansion Draft.

Things got even more interesting when training camp began. van Riemsdyk, a righty, began to skate on the left side. This meant there was only one spot open on the left side instead of two like we initially thought. That battle is coming down to Michal Kempny and Martin Fehervary.

Although van Riemsdyk was skating on the extra defensive pair in practice today, he did play on the top defensive pair with John Carlson in last night’s win over the Boston Bruins. In the game on Monday against the New Jersey Devils, he was on the second pair with Alex Alexyev on the right side. In last Saturday’s road contest against the Philadelphia Flyers, he was to the right of Kempny on the top pair. He also played in the first preseason game.

van Riemsdyk only played in 20 games last season recording a goal and two assists for three points. Although he played in the least amount of games, van Riemsdyk had the highest Corsi For percentage among defensemen at 52.49 percent. It is no doubt that number as well as the other high advanced stats and possession metrics indicate that van Riemsdyk deserves a spot in the top six.

Caps General Manager Brian MacLellan indicated he had been high on him all along when he addressed the media at the beginning of training camp: 

“I really like van Riemsdyk’s game. I think he’s a good player. Unfortunately, didn’t get to play as much as everybody would have liked last year. But he’s a solid player.”

Caps head coach Peter Laviolette expressed a similar remark:

“I thought TVR was excellent last year. He didn’t get in many games, he could’ve played in every game. We think that much of him, but we were fortunate and healthy with that regard on the back end and, when we did need him, he came in and played excellent. So there’s a lot of confidence from the staff with regard to the way he plays the game.”

It is no doubt Trevor van Riemsdyk will have a spot on the top six blueline. The question now is where he will be and next to whom.