Music: {allcanada} CARLYLE: LEAFS MAY TRY TO PUT VAN RIEMSDYK AT CENTRE

Friday, July 6, 2012

{allcanada} CARLYLE: LEAFS MAY TRY TO PUT VAN RIEMSDYK AT CENTRE

While many fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs are hoping the team can land a big centre, head coach Randy Carlyle believes they may have already done that.

Carlyle told The Toronto Sun on Thursday that he is interested in seeing forward James van Riemsdyk - acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers last month - try to work down the middle.

"He's a big man and we're going to try him playing in the middle for us," Carlyle told The Sun on Thursday. "It's always nice to have a 6-foot-plus centre in your top six. We feel there is an opportunity to explore him at centre.

"I have talked to him and he has asked for some video work."

Van Riemsdyk, who came to Toronto in a swap for defenceman Luke Schenn, played at centre with the University of New Hampshire and at the U.S. Under-18 Program but was put on the wing in three seasons with the Flyers. Should van Riemsdyk be put at centre when training camp opens, he would join fellow newcomer Jay McClement, Tim Connolly, Mikhail Grabovski, Tyler Bozak, David Steckel and Matthew Lombardi in a competition for spots.

Van Riemsdyk, who missed significant time last season with a broken left foot, had 11 goals and 13 assists in 43 games for the Flyers.