From Beauvillier to Wilson, we’re taking a look at and grading the 2024-25 season for every player who laced ‘em up for the Washington Capitals for a significant number of games during the campaign, with an eye towards 2025-24. Next up, Trevor van Riemsdyk.
The Bio:
#57 | Defense | Shoots: Right
Height: 6’3” | Weight: 197 | Born: July 24, 1991
Birthplace: Middletown, NJ | Acquired: Signed as a free agent on October 11, 2020
Cap Hit: $3,000,000 | Signed Through: 2025-26 | Expiry Status: Unrestricted Free Agent
The Scouting Report (via EP)
The Stats:
The Charts:
The Key Stat: Trevor van Riemsdyk isn’t on the ice for his offense, but he did set a new season high in assists with 20 this year. Another 20 on his stat sheet for the season? A +20 plus/minus, the best among Capitals’ defensemen this year and tied for third-best on the team. Say what you want about plus/minus as a stat but for a blueliner who doesn’t produce a lot of offense on his own, a +20 is excellent.
The Good: Trevor van Riemsdyk’s job is defense, and he continues to be very good at that. Despite skating on the third pair, he’s an anchor defenseman for Washington. He’s a true stay-at-home blueliner, especially at five-on-five and against opponents’ top three lines. He led all Caps’ defensemen (minimum 200 minutes played) in GF% at five-on-five with 57.43%; Jakob Chychrun was next with 55.86%. van Riemsdyk also led the team in blocked shots this season with 151—a key piece to his defensive game, especially since he’s on the smaller side for an NHL defenseman.
TvR also spends a lot of time on the PK for Washington, skating on the second unit with Rasmus Sandin. With van Riemsdyk on the ice for the Caps when Washington was shorthanded, opponents had an xGA/60 of 5.35 compared to 7.18 without TvR.
The Bad: There wasn’t much in the bad column for Trevor van Riemsdyk this season, mostly because he’s a stay-at-home defenseman through and through and really doesn’t do much else. His game is consistent and very much a “what you see is what you get” vibe, so the lack of offensive production isn’t a surprise. It would be nice, sure, but it’s more of a bonus when it happens. One slightly concerning stat—not quite a red flag, but maybe an orange one—was TvR’s uptick in penalties this season. He went from 18 PIM in 2023-2024 to 34 PIM this year. That’s a pretty big jump, especially for someone who regularly skates on the penalty kill for Washington.
The Video: On March 15, TvR ended his 145-game goal drought—the longest active drought in the league at that point—with this bank shot from behind the net.
The Discussion: Who would you like to see as van Riemsdyk’s primary defensive partner next year? van Riemsdyk’s contract expires after next season—should the Capitals consider extending him before the summer? And finally, what would it take for you to give van Riemsdyk a 10 next season?
The Vote: Rate Trevor van Riemsdyk below on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best) based on his performance relative to his potential and your expectations for the season – so if he had the best year you could have imagined him having, give him a 10; if he more or less played as you expected he would, give him a 5 or a 6; if he had the worst year you could have imagined him having, give him a 1.