He is great. He is talented. He is, at times, very frustrating to watch. James van Riemsdyk is a Flyer. Most likely, his time is coming to an end in Philly. In six months, he is a free agent. In three months is the trade deadline. He could be one of the few trade pieces the Flyers have that could get anything of good value in return.
Let’s take a look at his career here in Philly as well as what might happen with him in the upcoming months.
James van Riemsdyk: Welcome to the Philadelphia Flyers
JVR is a local boy who dreamed of playing for the Philadelphia Flyers and made that dream come true (You hear that Johnny Gaudreau!!!). He’s from Middletown, NJ in Monmouth County. He and his brother, Trevor, had played in local youth leagues before he moved to Ann Arbor, MI to join the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. He became one of the top-rated American skaters and in 2007, would be the second overall pick in the draft behind his buddy, Patrick Kane.
After being drafted, he spent two years at the University of New Hampshire before coming to join the club. As a rookie, he scored 15 goals with 20 assists in 2009-10. Not too shabby; but not near the top of Flyers rookie records. He was part of a young group of guys, including Claude Giroux, that helped the team advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. He scored three goals in the playoffs, including a Game 7 goal against the Boston Bruins after Philly was down 3-0 in the series.
However, in the next two seasons, he stagnated. Not that he had bad seasons, but more was demanded from the young budding star. He also battled some nagging foot injuries, which limited his time on ice and hindered his scoring abilities. At some point, he had a falling out with Coach Peter Laviolette. He would then be traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for defender Luke Schenn; the brother of Flyers forward Brayden Schenn.