Zawaski: Trevor van Riemsdyk 'Available' To Play, But Should He?
By Jay Zawaski--
(CBS) It's been no secret that the Blackhawks' fifth-sixth-seventh defensemen are, let's say, less than ideal. The trio of David Rundblad, Kyle Cumiskey and Kimmo Timonen has been Chicago's only weakness in this postseason. While the Blackhawks' top four have handled big minutes well, the question remained.
Are there no better options?
Well, there might be.
The Blackhawks recalled 23-year-old rookie defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk on May 22, right at the tail end of the Western Conference Final. Van Riemsdyk burst on the Blackhawks' scene early in training camp. A college free agent, van Riemsdyk came to camp with low expectations.
He flat out stole a job and performed well through the first 18 games of the season. In those games, he recorded one assist and, most importantly, was extremely dependable defensively, playing with the poise of a seasoned veteran. He pulled a Corsi for percentage of 60, while playing 12-plus competent minutes per game.
Then, the injury happened. Van Riemsdyk took a puck off the knee and missed five months. When he returned to AHL Rockford, he could only play eight games before injuring his wrist. He underwent his second surgery to repair that injury in early April. Now, van Riemsdyk is back and ready to play.
On Friday, Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said van Riemsdyk was "available" in Game 2 against Tampa Bay on Saturday but indicated he'll likely stick with the same lineup.
So, what's the wise choice? I'm a bit conflicted myself. Let's break it down.
The case for...
In his time with the Blackhawks this season, van Riemsdyk proved to be steady and dependable defensively.
It was for those two reasons specifically that he made the team in the first place. Is it insane to think he could be at least as good as Rundblad, Cumiskey or Timonen? Of course it's not. In fact, there's a pretty good chance he will be much better.
Simply, van Riemsdyk's ceiling is high, and his floor is only as low as the alternatives. Basically, it couldn't be worse. A 60 percent Corsi shouldn't be dismissed, especially considering he spent most of his 228:30 of ice time paired with Michal Rozsival (89:38) and Rundblad (43:38).
With a 1-0 series lead, Chicago has the luxury of "giving it a try" in Game 2. A mistake from van Riemsdyk wouldn't be fatal, as might would be in a Game 5, 6 or 7.
The case against...
There's little doubt that if healthy, van Riemsdyk can provide better defense than any of the other three options. This isn't a video game, though. It's not as simple as plugging in a player and saying, "Go." This is the Stanley Cup Final. Playing van Riemsdyk could be the equivalent of literally throwing someone to the wolves, with the carnage broadcast to a national audience.
Eighteen games in Chicago and eight games in Rockford don't provide all that much of a sample size, regardless of how well he played. He's also coming off of two major injuries. Can he play at the same speed with bad legs? Is his wrist 100 percent? We don't know.
The Blackhawks were able to win Game 6 and 7 against the Ducks and then Game 1 against the Lightning with Rundblad and Cumiskey in the lineup. There's the theory of it's not broke, so don't fix it to consider here.
Zawaski's verdict
I was terrified by some of the things I saw from Rundblad in Game 1. A couple of simple plays became long defensive shifts for the Blackhawks. Yes, they survived, but can they keep surviving? I trust Quenneville, Stan Bowman and the Blackhawks staff. They've had eyes on van Riemsdyk every step of the way. If they feel he's ready, then I'll trust them.
Last year, I bagged on Quenneville for not playing his best players in the Western Conference Final against the Kings. The same remains true now.
With that in mind, van Riemsdyk should be in the lineup for Game 2.
Jay Zawaski is the executive producer of the Spiegel and Goff Show on 670 The Score and the Blackhawks columnist for CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JayZawaski670. He will be on air for Blackhawks postgame coverage on 670 The Score following the Stanley Cup games. You can listen here.