i get that its his home town team, but i do not see a top tier player like gaudreau going to a bottom tier team.

I see ten million reasons for him to sign there

The model for a cap dump trade like van Riemsdyk would be is the Backes trade, so it would be something along the lines of Max Jones or Sam Steel for van Riemsdyk with 20% retained, Wade Allison and your 2023 first (you shouldn't even think about trading your 2022 first), and I recall Fletcher saying he wouldn't trade his 2022 or 2023 first-round draft picks. And since you don't have 2022 or 2023 seconds to make up the difference, it's hard to construct a deal by which we take van Riemsdyk off your hands. We're not doing you any favors for a third.

Yeah, I don't think he ends up in Philly

Will find a different team then

Its not a bad contract… overpaid one year… easily flipped and retained for a 2nd

Philly can send a 3rd to two teams to get them to take the retention and have themselves end up with a pick… several teams can eat cap for a year now