Another day has passed in the preseason preparations of the Detroit Red Wings without the presence of winger James van Riemsdyk.
He’s away on a team-approved absence while dealing with a personal matter.
“No update at this point,” Red Wings coach Todd McLellan said on the team website. “I’m excited about just seeing him, period.
“But again, he’s got more important things to do care of right now than what we’re doing here, and he has our full support. It’s going a little bit longer than we thought, but that’s okay.”
Random Leafs Highlight of the Day
James van Riemsdyk knocks the puck out of the air to himself before scoring from the slot
April 8, 2017 (2016-17 season)
📽️: Sportsnet | NHL pic.twitter.com/Tf0tK2poQp
— TheLeafsNation (@TLNdc) August 27, 2025
At the same time, McLellan willingly admits that van Riemsdyk is going to find himself somewhat behind the eight ball when he does finally arrive in camp.
“We’ve got some catch-up work to do with him once he gets here,” McLellan said. “But we’ll work hard with him, and I know he’ll work hard with us and we’ll get him up to speed.”
Red Wings Want to Try JVR on Top Line
Once he gets JVR on board, McLellan is planning to slot him in alongside captain Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond on the club’s top forward unit.
“I would like to see him up there,” McLellan said. “He’s a big man with real good hands. He knows that he has to go to the paint and does a lot of scoring in and around that area.
“He’s played against all the top players in the league in all different scenarios, whether it was top line or fourth line.”
“ Anyone can make you sweat. But can they make you better”
James van Riemsdyk pic.twitter.com/LzHg7AoEfN
— Coach Tiny Green (@TinyGreenNBS) August 18, 2025
The coach isn’t the only one anxiously awaiting van Riemsdyk’s arrival in town to see his fit on that line. Larkin is another who’s curious to see how that might play out.
“Yeah, JVR’s got a great skill set for that,” Larkin said of a top-line role. “He’s around the net a lot. He is good on the boards.
“He’s never been a burner as a skater, but he knows how to get up and down the ice. He knows he’s efficient with his skating and positioning, and he’s got great hands.”
One facet that McLellan isn’t concerned about regarding van Riemsdyk’s absence is the veteran player’s fitness level.
You don’t play for as long as he did without a good hockey mind, as well as a good training regimen,” McLellan said. “You have to be fairly fit, fairly strong.
“So I’m counting on that to play a long time, and we’ll get him up to speed.”