Does James van Riemsdyk Deserve Another Chance with Flyers?
James van Riemsdyk was once hailed as one of the future cornerstones of the Flyers when he first came up. He was the second overall pick in 2007 behind Patrick Kane and just five selections before future Flyer Jakub Voracek. The South Jersey native (Monmouth is close enough to South Jersey!) was going to play for the team he followed as a kid.
He played for three years in Philadelphia and signed a six year deal for $25,500,000 . Then, just one year into his contract, after a year of injuries and run-ins with then head coach Peter Laviolette, he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for defender Luke Schenn.
While in Toronto, JVR flourished, hitting the 25 goal mark in four of his six years. He was one of the best free agents on the market in 2018 and re-signed with the Flyers for five years and $35 million. It was seen as a huge coup for then GM Ron Hextall. Matching JVR with a lineup that featured Claude Giroux, Sean Couturier, Wayne Simmonds, and Vorcek with young stars like Travis Konecny, Nolan Patrick, Oskar Lindblom, and Shayne Gostisbehere seemed like it would pay huge dividends.
It didn’t. While van Riemsdyk had his best year in Philly that he would have in his five year stint, the rest of the team floundered. Simmonds would be traded that year and Patrick would start to suffer a series of career threatening injuries. And with the exception of the 2020 playoff bubble, the Flyers would never come close to hockey’s promised land.
Likewise, van Riemsdyk became a symbol of everything wrong with this team. He was overpaid for the little production he brought. He was a healthy scratch in some of the playoff games in the 2020 playoff bubble as he scored just two goals in 12 games. He was left unprotected in the NHL Expansion Draft in hopes that the Seattle Kraken would take him and his salary. Instead, Seattle chose prospect Carson Twarynski; who has yet to play for the Kraken.
Trade rumors have followed him throughout last offseason to help shore up salary cap space and during this year’s trade deadline. In fact, the fact that he wasn’t traded is a big reason that Chuck Fletcher is now a “former general manager of the Flyers”. He’s suffered a drop in production and a rash of injuries, including a broken finger this year.
And with his contract running out, it would seem that the Flyers and van Riemsdyk will soon part ways. But should both sides consider a reunion?
In 2021-22, van Riemsdyk lead the Flyers with 24 goals. And with him playing in just 61 games, he still finished the year with 12 goals and 17 assists. His 29 points were good for ninth on the team.
“He’s fighting for his career, to continue his career. I do think he’ll get an opportunity (to keep playing next season),” John Tortorella said about the veteran forward. “I think he understands, I think he’s a pretty level-headed guy, I know him pretty well. He understands what I’m trying to do. I was disappointed for him that he didn’t get a chance to try to go win.
Rocky Thompson, said that JVR was “a great pro” after he scored his 300th career goal while covering the bench for Tortorella. “He’s one of the better American players of all time” said Joel Farabee. In fact, his 300 goals currently ranks him at 25th all time for US-born players just one ahead of Austin Matthews and 12 behind Blake Wheeler.
Tortorella has said that he was the kind of a guy who can teach the young guys. All year long players like Morgan Frost and Farabee have sung his praises. Some of the best nights that Frost, Farabee, and/or Owen Tippett had were when they shared a line with van Riemsdyk.
So Why Bring JVR Back?
Van Riemsdyk’s value is not going to be in what he can do on the ice. Simply put, he is a soon to be 34 year old with fading skills. But on the positive side, he has a lot of heart. Likewise, he isn’t going to be seeing another $7 million contract.
He is very popular in the locker room. He is well liked by the young guys. Even Tortorella and Thompson appreciate and respect him for playing like he has.
Perhaps he could sign with the Flyers on a one-year “prove it deal” for $2-4 million. That would still give the team the financial flexibility to lock up some young guys long term and/or sign some vets to build on. Or if the team can’t land any free agent, he’s a perfect Plan B (or C) as he is already familiar with the team and the coaches.
He can still help develop the young players and build on what he has already done. Likewise, if he has a great season, he can turn it into a bigger contract the year after OR make himself more marketable for a trade next season to a contender and help the Flyers build that way.
While his second stint with the Flyers hasn’t turned out as anyone have hoped, something can still be salvaged. JVR still has worth that could be potentially mined. Is he willing to take a hometown discount? Would Daniel Briere, a former teammate, and Tortorella want him back? We’ll just have to see how things develop. After all, the Flyers could still use a left wing with a hard shot.