James van Riemsdyk surprisingly signed by the Columbus Blue Jackets

Chris Johnston was the first to report the news, adding this is a standard contract and not just a professional tryout, as many players lately have been signing PTOs around the league.

So with the Blue Jackets scrambling for forward depth following the heartbreaking loss of Johnny Gaudreau last month, a signing of JVR to a full deal makes a ton of sense. No more than minutes after Johnston's report, the team made it official.

James Van Riemsdyk's (JVR) contract is worth $900,000, just above the league minimum. He scored 38 points in 71 games last season on the Bruins' fourth line. In his career, he has played 1,011 regular-season games, recording 311 goals and 318 assists for a total of 629 points.

With JVR on board, the total cap hit for the Blue Jackets works out to just a shade over $63 million. That leaves them needing another $2 million or so invested in player contracts to reach this season's lower cap limit of $65 million. Options are restricted at this point, so it will be interesting to see how they make up that difference.

Source: House of Hockey
Shocking turn of events for James Van Riemsdyk: he is signing elsewhere

Source: Hockey-Reference
James van Riemsdyk