Where do the Flyers go from here with James van Riemsdyk?
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.
James van Riemsdyk: The Toronto Years
Out of Philly and into Toronto, what one could consider the capital city of the NHL, JVR would flourish. Yes, he did sign a six-year $22.5 million contract to play as a Flyer, but after one year on the deal, he was shipped off to Canada.
In Toronto, he flourished. And as the Flyers’ fans were frustrated that the team could do little in the playoffs, all they had to do was look to Ontario and see what he was doing. Eighteen goals in the lockout season of 2012-13. That was followed by a 30-goal performance the following year. In six years in Toronto, he scored 154 goals and topped the 25-goal mark four times.
Thankfully, the Leafs never went too far in the playoffs to really drive that nail deeper into our hearts. But still, you wonder….if he was playing with Giroux, Brayden Schenn, Wayne Simmonds, Scott Hartnell, and Jakub Voracek….would it have made a difference. Interestingly enough, Philly won five playoff series while JVR was there. In his absence, they couldn’t win a single one.
With the Leafs looking to shed some salary to make a run at other free agents and shake the lineup up a bit, JVR was a casualty. He was now a free agent for the first time.
James van Riemsdyk: Return to Philly
As a first-time free agent in 2018, van Riemsdyk could’ve gone anywhere—signed with anyone. Then general manager Ron Hextall picked up the phone and contacted JVR’s agent. He was soon inked to a five-year, $35 million contract. Expectations were high. He had scored 27 goals with 21 assists in his first year back; down from 36 goals in his final year in Toronto.
Then…well…things changed. Dave Hakstol was out as coach of the Flyers. In came Alain Vigneault. Covid hit. JVR scored only two goals in the playoff bubble, he was also scratched by AV a few games in the series.
Now, JVR had some issues with Coach Lavy. Did he have some with AV? Travis Konecny did and it showed in his performance on the ice. Did JVR have the same issues?
Either way, his goal tallies fell. Maybe it was his linemates. Maybe it was injuries. Maybe it was the coaching. Who knows. But his goals went from 27 in his first year back to 19 in the bubble year, 17 in 2020-21, to 24 last year. But last season, he scored just two goals with four assists when Vigneault was let go. After that, he seemed to find his scoring touch.
He seemed to be doing well enough when he broke his finger. Since returning, he has been one of the more consistent scorers on a team that is lacking any sort of scoring consistency.
James van Riemsdyk: The Future
If he can stay healthy and can still contribute, he could be a valuable asset at the trading deadline. He could easily contribute to a team looking for that one final piece to get them over the edge. If that is the case, there could be a bidding war for his services. And that is good for the Flyers because the more teams that could use a veteran scorer like van Riemsdyk, the higher the price can become. The Flyers could also increase their return if they eat up any remaining salary he may have.
Peering into the crystal ball of the sports world can be tough. All of a sudden a team can get hot or cold. A player’s injury can derail a team’s chances big time. A team that has lots of good players, like the Boston Bruins can weather a David Pastrňák or Patrice Bergeron getting hurt. They could hardly afford both of them being out. The point is even a loaded team like the Bruins could find themselves needing help if someone big got hurt.
Likewise, there will be salary cap issues as some teams may not have space…unless we get a player in return instead of draft picks. Another team may make a trade hoping to sign him in the future.
For right now, he could fit in well with a team like the Carolina Hurricanes looking to get that extra push to get to the Stanley Cup finals. Other Eastern teams that could be in the hunt could include the New York Islanders trying to secure a playoff spot, the New Jersey Devils looking to add some veteran leadership, the Pittsburgh Penguins trying to make one more run, the Ottawa Senators looking to reunite him with Giroux, or New York Rangers wanting one more scoring threat. Maybe Washington, another team trying to recapture some former glory, may want him to play with his brother Trevor.
In the Western Conference, the Seattle Kraken are still holding onto a playoff spot. They could use a veteran presence as he could offer. Struggling teams in the West, like the Colorado Avalanche, Calgary Flames, and Edmonton Oilers could all make a play for him to secure a playoff spot. A team, such as the Los Angeles Kings or Winnipeg Jets may trade for him to keep one of the other teams from acquiring him.
Even then, his time as a Flyer may not be over yet. Ok, yes he is overpaid considering what we got in return for it. But what if he were to be traded and then wanted to come back to Philly? What if he signed a three-year deal for $12-$15 million; roughly half of what he makes now? Would you want him then?
He’ll be 34 in May. He may not get many big offers, considering his level of play and injuries as of the last few years. But if he could be offered a smaller salary and stay here, would you take him?
I for one would. He seems to be gelling well with younger players like Owen Tippett and Morgan Frost. His experience has been invaluable to their development. That could benefit the Flyers greatly. And at a reduced rate, they could still have the funds to go after a mid to upper-tier free agent and finally get this team back near the top of the division again.
James van Riemsdyk is a hot topic amongst Flyers fans. He is good, but not as good as he could be. Rumors flew that he has floated this past offseason and nobody was willing to give the Flyers anything good. Likewise, he was left unprotected in the Kraken’s expansion draft and Seattle chose Carsen Twarynski instead; who has yet to play for them. Maybe he wouldn’t want to return to a team that has “treated him as such.”
It’s all too early to tell. While the Flyers are not yet out of a playoff position, let’s be honest…it ain’t looking too promising. But then again, the Phillies fired their coach and were in fourth place in June. They made it to the playoffs on the last day of the year. So, who knows? The sports crystal ball is kinda fuzzy right now.
Whatever happens, it will surely be interesting. Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher hasn’t really inspired a lot of confidence in some of his moves. Either way, it has, mostly, been fun watching JVR as a Flyer.